Skip to main content

Full text of "Remarks on church architecture .."

See other formats 


ypy. 

/ / ’ J-liSUJUJt  Ppix,  * s 


CHURCH  ARCHITECTURE. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/remarksonchurcha01peti 


REMARKS 


ON 


CHURCH  ARCHITECTURE. 


WUtf)  Illustrations. 


BY 

THE  REV.  J.  L.  PETIT,  M.A. 


IN  TWO  VOLUMES. 
VOL.  I. 


LONDON: 

JAMES  BURNS,  17  PORTMAN  STREET, 

PORTMAN  SQUARE, 


1841. 


LONDON : 


PRINTED  BY  ROBSON,  LEVEY,  AND  FRANKLYN, 
Great  New  Street,  Fetter  Lane. 


PREFACE. 


The  following  pages  contain  no  more  than  they  profess, 
namely,  remarks  upon  Church  Architecture,  such  as  might 
be  made  by  one  who  has  taken  more  pleasure  than  pains 
in  a pursuit,  and  is  willing  to  persuade  his  conscience  that 
the  hours  he  has  given  to  his  own  gratification  have  not 
been  altogether  misemployed. 

My  hopes  of  their  proving  in  any  degree  useful  rest 
upon  the  fact,  that  we  are  still  in  a great  measure  unac- 
quainted with  those  architectural  principles  to  which  build- 
ings of  the  middle  ages  owe  their  peculiar  beauty  ; and 
therefore,  notwithstanding  the  very  valuable  works  which 
are  before  the  public,  the  writer,  even  of  an  indifferent 
treatise,  may  perform  a great  service,  either  by  casually 
throwing  out  some  suggestion  which  shall  give  a clue 
towards  the  discovery  of  an  important  law,  or  by  bringing 
forward  a collection  of  examples,  which  may  be  available 
in  establishing  or  overthrowing  theories  already  formed, 
and  which  will,  moreover,  induce  others  to  take  a comr 
prehensive,  instead  of  a limited  view  of  the  subject,  and 
obviate  those  evils  which  result  from  the  laying  down  of 
arbitrary  rules  upon  imperfect  data, 

It  is,  I fear,  no  needless  task  to  urge  the  fact,  that 
many  grand  principles  of  the  art,  familiar  to  our  ancestors, 
are  lost  to  us ; and  it  is  rather  with  the  view  of  pressing 
this  point,  than  in  the  hope  of  suggesting  any  idea  which 


VI 


PREFACE. 


may  lead  to  their  recovery,  that  I offer  the  following 
observations.  I trust,  besides,  that  the  notices  of  different 
buildings  which  occur,  slight  as  they  are,  will  not  be  found 
unserviceable.  It  will  be  perceived  that  reference  is  made 
rather  to  outline  and  character,  than  details,  for  reasons 
which,  independent  of  the  cursory  nature  of  my  examina- 
tions, will  not  fail  to  strike  the  reader. 

In  fact,  Gothic  detail  of  every  description  has  of  late 
been  much  studied,  and  is  wrell  understood ; nor  is  there  a 
county  or  district  in  England  which  does  not  offer  abun- 
dant examples  of  any  kind  fit  for  practical  purposes  : were 
it  otherwise,  the  admirable  “ Glossary  of  Architecture” 
would  supply  the  deficiency  to  the  student.  Nothing  is 
now  wanting  in  this  department ; but  in  that  which  relates 
to  composition  and  arrangement,  very  much.  A judicious 
selection  of  general  outlines,  plans,  and  elevations,  both  of 
whole  buildings  and  portions,  which  please  the  eye,  would 
be  equally  desirable.  This  should  be  made  to  afford  the 
greatest  possible  variety;  to  be  confined  neither  to  one 
country,  nor  one  age,  nor  one  scale  of  importance;  to 
comprise  not  only  finished  and  elaborate  specimens,  but 
the  roughest  and  plainest  chapels  or  village  churches, 
many  of  which,  on  account  of  their  unpretending  beauty, 
attained  solely  by  nice  proportion,  are  invaluable. 

Any  selection  made  by  a single  individual,  from  ex- 
amples which  have  come  under  his  own  notice,  must,  from 
the  nature  of  the  case,  be  very  incomplete  in  its  design, 
and,  moreover,  somewhat  dependent  on  caprice.  The  fol- 
lowing, if  it  can  be  called  a selection,  certainly  does  not 
profess  to  be  free  from  either  of  these  faults ; but  I have 
done  my  best  to  set  before  the  reader  a sufficient  variety, 


PREFACE. 


Vll 


both  in  form  and  composition,  to  prove  to  him  how  wide  a 
range  can  be  taken  by  architects  whose  works  are  essen- 
tially of  the  same  class  and  character. 

In  the  great  mass  of  modern  buildings  we  find  two 
faults,  apparently  very  opposite  to  each  other,  but  both 
resulting  from  the  same  cause, — ignorance  of  fundamental 
principles.  One  is  the  exercise  of  a capricious  and  unre- 
strained fancy,  which  leads  us  to  suppose  that  the  architect 
labours  under  the  error  (common  till  of  late  years)  of  pro- 
nouncing Gothic  an  irregular  style,  free  from  all  laws  and 
rules  whatever ; the  other  is,  a slavish  submission  to  some 
arbitrary  forms  or  maxims  (no  matter  whether  expressed 
or  understood),  which  ensures  the  absence  of  any  thing 
like  distinctive  character.  On  which  account,  the  builder 
of  churches  ought  to  make  observations  on  the  most  ex- 
tensive scale,  to  collect  examples  from  other  countries,  and 
to  look  upon  those  in  his  own,  not  as  inconvenient  old 
fabrics,  which  he  may  one  day  have  to  enlarge  or  rebuild, 
but  as  models  of  grace  and  dignity,  from  which  he  may 
gain  much  instruction.  He  should  measure  most  accurately 
both  the  lines  and  angles  of  many  humble  and  unpretend- 
ing structures,  which  the  antiquary,  and  even  the  artist, 
disdains  to  notice.  He  will  thus  learn,  not  to  imitate,  but 
to  invent,  perhaps  to  mark  the  period  of  his  labours  by  a 
style  distinguished  from  that  of  his  ancestors  otherwise 
than  by  its  meagreness  and  deformity. 

I make  no  apology  for  the  roughness  of  my  sketches. 
Had  I consulted  my  own  interest  and  the  gratification  of 
the  reader,  I should  have  devoted  the  same  pains  and  ex- 
pense to  a smaller  number ; but  my  wish  is  rather  to 
excite  than  to  indulge  his  curiosity ; my  end  will  be  more 


Vlll 


PREFACE. 


fully  answered,  if  I can  urge  him  to  the  actual  examination 
of  a building,  than  if  I can  satisfy  him  with  a minute 
verbal  description  and  accurate  drawing : still  I hope  they 
will  be  sufficient  to  give  him  some  information,  and  that 
their  inaccuracies  will  not  prove  of  such  a nature  as  in  any 
case  seriously  to  mislead  him  ; and  I assure  him  I have 
sometimes  wished  I could  refer  to  sketches  even  less 
definite  (if  possible)  than  those  I now  offer.  I may  say 
that  in  almost  every  case  they  are  from  drawings  taken  on 
the  spot,  either  by  myself,  or  by  friends  whose  eye  and 
hand  I would  rather  trust  than  my  own ; at  all  events  they 
do  not,  by  any  elaborate  execution,  hold  out  the  promise 
of  greater  accuracy  than  they  possess. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  say  that  I avail  myself  freely  and 
without  scruple  of  every  work  upon  the  subject  which  has 
fallen  into  my  hands  ; and  if  I were  to  mark  all  the  sug- 
gestions for  which  I am  indebted  to  others,  I should  only 
ffistract  the  reader ; I wish  him  therefore  to  understand, 
that  any  reference  in  the  notes  is  not  made  only  by  way 
of  acknowledgment,  but  for  the  purpose  of  directing  his 
attention  to  some  valuable  passage  from  the  work  in 
question. 

I have  now  only  to  return  my  warmest  thanks  to  the 
kind  friends  to  whom  I am  indebted  for  drawings,  and 
other  contributions,  as  well  as  for  useful  hints;  and  to 
assure  them,  that  but  for  their  assistance  my  Essay  must 
have  gone  forth  in  a very  defective  state. 


^Explanation  of  Ccrms. 

I shall  not  be  found  to  have  troubled  my  readers  with  many  technical 
terms,  for  the  best  possible  reason ; but  in  case  these  pages  should  fall  into 
the  hands  of  any  one  still  less  acquainted  than  myself  with  the  nomenclature 
of  the  art,  I subjoin  the  explanation  of  a few  that  I could  not  help  using. 
Some  others  are  introduced  in  the  course  of  the  work  ; but  their  meaning  will, 
I trust,  be  made  sufficiently  clear  in  the  passages  where  they  occur.  I think 
I can  make  myself  better  understood  by  reference  to  a figure  than  by  mere 
description. 

1.  Part  of  a Norman  or  Romanesque  shaft,  with  a cushion  capital  (see 
(Professor  Whewell’s  “ Architectural  Notes”)  and  square  abacus,  a. 

2,  3.  Plans  of  cross  churches  with  a single  apse,  a , the  apse,  apsis,  absis, 
or  apside,  which  may  be  semicircular  or  polygonal. 

4.  A transverse  triapsal  church. 

5.  A parallel  triapsal  church. — These  terms  are  used  by  Professor  Whe- 
well.  Ahrweiler,  in  Germany,  might  be  called  oblique-triapsal. 

6.  A Roman  arch  of  one  order,  a,  the  architrave,  being  the  band  that 
runs  round  on  the  face  of  the  wall ; b,  the  archivolt,  or  the  inner  face  ; c,  the 
impost,  or  the  mass  from  which  the  arch  springs.  I believe  I have  used  the 
latter  term  rather  vaguely,  for  I have  sometimes  put  it  for  the  whole  struc- 
ture (of  whatever  parts  it  may  consist)  below  the  spring  of  the  arch.  I hope, 
however,  the  reader  will  not  be  misled.  The  whole  system  of  mouldings  round 
a Gothic  arch  is  also  called  its  architrave. 

7.  An  arch  of  two  orders,  a,  the  superior  ; b,  the  inferior  order. 

8.  An  arch  shewing  the  voussoirs  or  blocks  of  which  it  is  composed. 
a,  a , & c.,  the  voussoirs ; b (the  highest  of  them)  being  the  keystone. 

9.  A stilted  arch. 

10.  A segmental  arch  ; which  may  also  be  pointed. 

11.  A Tudor,  or  four-centered  arch. 

12.  A Burgundian  arch  ; approaching  to  the  ellipse. 

13.  Interior  elevation  of  part  of  the  side  of  a cathedral,  a , the  piers  and 
pier-arches;  b , the  triforium  range,  which  when  fitted  up  as  a gallery  is  in 
Germany  called  the  mannerchor  (Whewell)  ; c,  the  clerestory,  which  is 
generally  a range  of  windows. 

14.  The  German  fan-light. 

15.  An  arch  with  double  foliation. 

16.  A foliated  circle.  To  mark  the  number  of  cusps  or  foliations,  this 
would  be  called  a cinquefoiled  circle. 

17.  A trefoil. 

18.  A trefoil  arch. 

19.  A tref oiled  arch. 

20.  Geometrical  tracery,  which  may  or  may  not  be  foliated. 

21.  Flowing  tracery,  which  generally  has  foliations. 

22.  Perpendicular  tracery,  which  also  is  mostly  foliated. — All  these  admit 
of  much  variety,  but  the  distinguishing  principle  of  each  is  easily  detected. 
What  may  be  called  intersecting  tracery,  where  the  stone  divisions  simply 
cross  each  other  with  or  without  foliation,  may  combine  with  any  of  the 
three. 

23.  The  transom  of  a door. 

24.  Transom  of  a window.  The  upright  bars  are  the  mullions. 

The  pendentives  of  a dome  or  octagon  are  the  constructions  supporting 
those  parts  that  do  not  stand  immediately  over  the  main  arches  of  the  intersec- 
tion ; as  the  diagonal  sides  of  one,  and  a great  portion  of  wall  in  the  other,  if 
circular  in  plan.  The  distinction  between  the  Romanesque  and  Byzantine 
pendentive  will  be  explained  in  the  second  volume  : it  must  be  borne  in 
mind,  however,  that  this  refers  to  mechanical  structure,  and  not  to  style ; for 
the  term  “ Romanesque  pendentive”  may  be  applied  to  one  of  the  latest 
Gothic. 


‘T 


'"f' 

$'  .iLa, t Atv 


_ *s- 

C 7\p  r7~n  ASisruoy  t, 

" Vol . X.  ' 

_ 

U/toZ-Aeal'— 

,/  At  AtSi  Sl~ /4S~.  Cent.  IH/K'h  ■ Y z Vu? 

jAhSs/o  - /?/,  C&ixrt'n- . huHtAle. 

S*~  aUf  tfU^  A33\  Oi&xJc-  S h.  oClA 

. ^SASfy /A? 

A^/&u.tx.  A t— y^ 

J^h^AaAolA<A  . AlsshcJ A A 

« AbAtS _ 2f 

cA%ASi.  . £eiu><z~ 32 

*fA  Mt  A-a*  /*_ y2 

fJJJcriA/ej  A’/rusicA  * AAytc*  . - -^X 

AkAcj . S~AzcryAt  rruuS  SZ 


/d 

9Z 


% 


if* w 


uo 

l US' 

tS* 

— 

3<ffiiL.  — — /S3 

* <»  C'Au^^tC.  *^A. /&/ 

& tucaSAz^  2J/t 

<u~.  (L.j  /&.  o/L^^S.  ■ JLa?~  //A 

P.  U /,  I'Xr ASzAerx. //X 

JUtjAtAAcy  — /Ay 


S^S/fUtr^O'A S3  ZU*/uy73£  lAMAze. ZJb 


J@Oa.  Ar>t  . ~Sh-&4<rC  ...  .fizru/- 


& 


tA/suy/icm.  . (L7AjJkt  A- S%  3 ^ajtxjnoL.  -%/6 

3£cuyry. /SO 

^ y ~'L&  Aptt*S A/*~  — ZjS 

J . a- 


cAu+eA  Au,  - /Ay 

&*s*uf%£  ■ Ut&'U*7~  - /6S  Szi/cA 

C8  — 

3/2*  At*,  ru.  Af/T yS. 

(3e*u^**4. 1 - yZ 

' Ccc^c* \xtS  ^ c X Z -%A3.  /4cS 

'•  ^Au-*.c^L  — //-A 

tde+su-Z /y6 

3acAu*~i/iA£t-  . S^C^si^e /zfZ. 

(3  072*1'  (ZSAte.  A SS 

3/t i/S^AAA  S'~\A£mi /&Z. 

A$kz3/j <+*<- 'ir~*t- . JftnA^Aic  . .. 


^CryUiftX.  . S^SWAy+s  cc~  - A*  A.  y6 
>r  n StAcfr-en—-  yy  . 

^aAhb/  a/t^c  AAt-*--  -~/SJ 
y?cvur*i~  - IIash*,v/u  ctcv  fel 3 h 

tt  C&/Ia>^  <hq.'U.  <j*_  - — — / O 

u Z&U.  <0~*  'Ia,  /~ JUf) 

» $ d/^*.  fict.2o.CjL.  _ . Jl 

.1  SfucA  tu.  D$ 

£ vlXcn*.  Sh-  lj(oj  ^c- /SO 

Cmru.  vUix^  — //2 

d 


/// 

3>C*yS/£>cir/~ /Sfi 

C<VZ7L.  S~  SfyJxttS - loS  J/cn^nraA  f'z  AiAcJ  ■ S3 

u $h JYicAjAa* \ob  A-aro d&n.  v . 2/6 

CcLifot  - dHr/y  to\ 1S6 

CcLli.Cj  \<xna.  . <j< 


Ctn  Jens  CL  h7'  hi/<xii /Za  zAuceA  ^ 


Ckayny 

CktUJtL 


/SO 

Jiz 


Coy  0 It  ft  o --6} 

1 SIj*u>  yp 

tfjjm  tlxJ  oAuilIi  — fZ 


CfAogVijt-  _ fj&u1  Sit  A> 


<zSL 

C'Hct  Cl. £0  s/ZAH.  S ^ SiJttt'/J c/i£f  . • 

Jtc AA/jLAt^y  CAAAL$7t 5^  - - • /Jo" 

o£m0/L sz. 


/Iccay?-. 


/uz 

/'Z 

So 


tjuTU  A aiu.  CjCL^rt-' 
^ay-c/i  e*  " 


JUuzJaLarnS  - Jbb'u  '<n*  _ / ^ 
- ...  /^ 


/t  — ' <.y  ■ \y  - *.w..  . 

<U>  S'*"-  Tk^riA Z ctuirt/lr 

cZS^ y<^2  : 




tS* 


. S/~C<ten>t-. ^T2 

^^rnSuTy/z^ AM  . 

cSlSua^ _-AAf  ScUffu.  - 

o^etc^^ryzy  _ AAlrfy,  -~/SU  $aioo>.cltnjt  S1'  S’a+n.ccs-. 

,q/?UOU-4.  &'~<.Svfa%4s  .. $CloAl,  C>  aUccXCs  - ■ *r tHOA-  - - 

^ — bvtiy  

2-  ' -~y^ yZ  St&>uf  fed-h 

//  S^Stlf/il/Z / 20  Scil&CL'rt,  _ -» 

~^CVt<s£c*/ Y6$  f*  /<LM.tSU  Spt f 

S'  Srto^fZJL ^2-  2-/^ -1 — 

•^%/c  AAAt— ApS  $&ic1>xbatM--  )>iXu,stl‘u  »«,. 

/#/  SfiVHO^ 

A&ct taSz  x?^--  ftzoZCL.  £t A.  92.  §fcj»fu'U.'$.$t:  Cr  Uu ... 

« ..  „$*/■?..  yo  S tsu^AtUy  _ — — ■ — — 

(Ja~j%t^2a. / „£?/  SutyhLCz-  $*?.  £ t/ngl&L 

//  - StA/nAaftcr — <?1L  h n ZxAIruA*-  >. 

V*  Q~ 

SZl.  Uljjcifirza  £*?  y<u*r a — . 

$uJ"la-V< 


»<  — ^ W#  / ^ ^ * 

C_ 

fctk^fz, 


tt  . ■ - * ‘UZuTL^t  uu/yif * 

— / /Z)4t-  Si, /vjtsZn*- — 

t^7£Z£C  /^t £ Ur  — — — — — — — /S3  S C&^OlZL.  ff  ~<.{jL  Za  <.t~y  ~ ^ *~- 

^yf'cjz.  ..  t?Su4£/£  fijLa.4. Sh-4~cCt Lm-  - i37~CUJ~?  * _~ 

^SpeAf/^t.  (Z>~Zji /d  Z Z&U/i  ~7i  u^S — 

^2^  Trcc^f . S^nfAtTtfcaTeA-.-  #6  •*  ^ - — — 

tt  J?/u /ft*  of  &ra7t  ex ..  Oo  Jzrfwritxj  . AlLi  - — 

^Ya~?2  it . . kx  C&tti /6Z  <!7u'iA-x.<\ — 

:;  o j <;.- 

O&S-r-tca tt  ^ . ' 

OUtuAufM.. /6$  y*&ua-  

& /-ZZ.17 <?  <■  - kTAZol.  — IShM&TJAAAL' - 

Oa  rA  S'! S/Z  'tynJ'hrrict'U^ 

tfi . X Y 

‘sk  h$  . SoActLs  oU  juStTGe  .-ibt+  S~CUcjh  c lx  


ScLLTL 


i?»; 


..sc.. 


W'. 


au  . ofa-u  face*-*  ce  * $ — fZ  —,  ’ ' — ~~z — / 

S'-^cA^U fo  \fafrcuTjx^  ^/7  /ta*4Aj~. 

6hPaiSZ  Uoz^l. T20  WTrzsh*.*  £±JU>uU~ 

§l~ ScUvaoZtfL fZ2  $.  fii<j 

S~  facj trltrrv  — — - CjZ.  *)uJUsi*..n-  cJuns*~>  _ . 

% LAlfOLlru. fauh  W^tatcAcix.  &p04-. 

CcLVU- 


— 4* 
:% 

$6* 

ItD 

-HI. 

<31 

180 

tag 

1 z. 

86 
•tut- 
■ //! 
84- 
.108- 
. HZ. 
-/6 
V/ 

■*% 

- <^4? 

t/Z 

- fr 

- 6t. 

~7Z 

/sz 

-4-o 


<7 

/t£ 

tfZ 

lot 

IZL 

161 

S3 

41 


ERRATA. 


Page  183,  line  11,  for  “ Redgrove  in  Norfolk’’  read 
Redgrave  in  Suffolk.” 

Page  189,  line  14,  for  “ Candebec”  read  “ Caudebec.” 


REMARKS 


ON 

CHURCH  ARCHITECTURE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

It  is  not  only  to  the  historian  and  antiquary  that 
the  architecture  of  the  middle  ages  has  become  a 
subject  of  deep  interest.  In  the  present  day,  when 
the  necessity  of  increased  church  accommodation 
has  been  so  universally  felt,  and  still  demands  so 
much  exertion  and  liberality,  it  surely  behoves  us, 
without  neglecting  matters  of  higher  importance, 
to  give  some  attention  to  the  designs  and  execu- 
tion of  the  edifices  themselves,  and  to  be  careful 
that  their  appearance  be  worthy  of  their  sacred 
character,  and  the  great  purpose  to  which  they 
are  appropriated. 

If  indeed  a church  be  considered  in  no  other 
light  than  as  a building  erected  for  the  reception 


VOL.  i. 


B 


2 


of  a certain  number  of  persons  assembled  in  wor- 
ship,, no  more  is  necessary  than  to  give  sufficient 
space  and  to  secure  safety;  all  beyond  this  may 
be  referred  to  mere  taste  and  fancy. 

But  if  it  be  a building  solemnly  dedicated  and 
consecrated  to  the  Almighty,  in  this  case  it  is  our 
duty  to  provide  that  it  be  in  every  respect  the 
best  of  which  circumstances  will  admit ; its  beauty, 
propriety,  and  solemnity  cease  to  be  matters  of 
indifference.  And  this  seems  to  have  been  an 
universal  impression : in  every  country  the  tem- 
ples devoted  to  worship  are  the  richest,  the  most 
durable,  and  the  most  beautiful,  among  the  struc- 
tures remaining  to  us.  Nor  can  we  regard  the 
feeling  as  one  derived  from  superstition ; else  it 
would  not  have  been  sanctioned  in  the  temple  of 
Solomon.  A want  of  caution  as  to  the  character 
and  appearance  of  any  thing  we  offer  to  our  Maker 
is  surely  not  a venial  fault ; and  therefore  the 
more  we  are  restricted  in  our  means,  the  more 
imperatively  are  we  called  upon  to  attain  that 
excellence  of  design  which  gives  greater  value  to 
a building  than  the  most  costly  material  or  the 
most  elaborate  workmanship. 

It  is  by  no  means  necessary  for  a church  to  be 
rich  in  ornament : the  simplest  old  village  church 


3 


has  often  a certain  dignity,  for  which  we  look  in 
vain  in  many  buildings  of  greater  pretension.  The 
elements  which  constitute  this  seem  to  be  gene- 
rally unknown ; certainly  it  is  difficult,  if  not  im- 
possible, to  define  them.  We  suppose  that  we  are 
indebted  for  the  charm  to  antiquity.  This  is  true, 
to  a certain  extent;  and  yet  how  often  are  the 
marks  of  antiquity  defaced,  as  by  repairs,  plaster, 
or  whitewash,  without  destroying,  or  even  much 
injuring,  the  venerable  appearance  of  the  fabric; 
and  where  additions  have  been  made  at  several 
periods,  and  in  different  styles,  as  is  the  case  with 
all  our  cathedrals,  and  a very  great  number  of  our 
parish  churches,  the  character  and  symmetry  of 
the  whole  has  in  most  instances  been  completely 
preserved. 

It  is,  I may  say,  within  the  memory  of  man 
that  the  popular  definition  of  a Gothic  building 
was  simply,  one  which  exhibited  pointed  arches, 
no  matter  what  might  be  its  ornaments,  its  propor- 
tions, or  its  composition.  And  therefore  it  is  no 
disparagement  to  the  talents  of  our  present  archi- 
tects to  assert,  that  the  Gothic  style  is  not  yet 
revived;  even  supposing  the  spirit  of  the  age  to 
admit  of  such  revival.  We  may  say  of  an  archi- 
tect, that  he  has  built  a good  Gothic  church,  just 


4 


as  we  say  of  a scholar,  that  he  has  written  a good 
Latin  exercise,  if  he  has  committed  no  egregious 
blunder  in  grammar,  and  has  shewn  himself  toler- 
ably well  acquainted  with  the  idioms  of  the  lan- 
guage. And  as  the  scholar  who  can  do  this  is 
entitled  to  some  praise,  and  cannot  be  said  to  have 
employed  his  time  in  a wholly  unprofitable  task ; 
so  neither  is  the  architect  who  has  made  himself 
master  of  the  details  of  a style,  and  can  clothe  his 
conceptions  in  them,  to  be  denied  commendation. 
But  we  cannot  say,  that  the  one  has  revived  a 
language,  or  the  other  a style  of  architecture.  A 
competent  knowledge  of  ordinary  rules  is  sufficient 
for  the  mere  imitator;  but  the  reviver  of  an  art 
must  be  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  spirit  he 
would  infuse : he  must  be  gifted  with  an  intuitive 
perception,  and  improve  it  by  a diligent  and 
anxious  study  of  those  natural  principles  which, 
so  far  from  depending  upon  taught  and  written 
rules,  constitute  their  very  groundwork.  The 
former  may  possibly  be  discovered  by  means  of  the 
latter,  as  the  spring-head  may  be  found  by  tracing 
the  stream  upwards ; but  they  certainly  will  not 
be  found  by  those  who  do  not  search  for  them, 
who  rest  contented  with  a blind  dependence  on 
mere  technical  forms. 


5 


In  the  present  day.  Gothic  architecture  is  in 
fact  a dead  language,  one  perhaps  of  which  we 
have  learnt  little  more  than  the  grammar;  yet 
the  increasing  wish  to  imitate  shews  that  we  have 
already  a lively  perception  of  its  beauties,  ignorant 
as  we  are  of  the  source  whence  they  spring,  and 
unable  to  appreciate  them  in  their  full  extent; 
even  as  we  may  form  some  idea  of  the  magnificent 
rhythm  of  Homer,  yEschylus,  and  Pindar,  while 
we  cannot  so  much  as  give  the  true  pronunciation 
of  their  language. 

But  our  wish  to  imitate,  if  we  have  acted  upon 
it  prematurely,  may  possibly  have  thrown  some 
very  serious  obstacles  in  the  way  of  a revival.  I 
cannot  but  think  the  taste  for  Gothic  cottages,  and 
even  mansions,  to  have  been  on  the  whole  unfa- 
vourable to  the  art.  It  has  had  the  effect  of  giving 
the  details  and  smaller  elegances  of  the  style  an 
undue  importance,  to  the  neglect  of  fundamental 
principles.  A fanciful  outline,  or  a neat  finish, 
seems  to  have  been  the  end  and  aim  of  the  archi- 
tect’s skill ; and  the  result  is,  a class  of  buildings, 
correct  enough  in  mere  details—  and  from  this  very 
correctness  affording  the  less  hope  of  improvement 
— but  no  more  imbued  with  the  spirit  and  cha- 


6 


racter  of  the  middle  ages  than  a schoolboy’s  theme 
with  that  of  Cicero.* 

The  ecclesiastical  buildings  with  which  we  are 
acquainted,  belonging  to  the  period  between  the 
tenth  and  sixteenth  centuries  (it  might  perhaps  be 
extended  each  way),  however  they  may  differ  in 
style,  richness  of  ornament,  outline,  or  general 
arrangement,  are  evidently  designed  upon  certain 
principles  of  proportion,  most  difficult  to  investi- 
gate or  explain,  but  of  which  the  architects  seem 
to  have  had  an  intuitive  knowledge.  Many,  indeed, 
are  open  to  criticism,  as  what  human  work  is  not  ? 
but  there  is  a manifest  propriety,  a careful  adjust- 
ment, and  a remarkable  gracefulness  of  composi- 
tion, which  pervades  the  whole,  from  the  humblest 
and  plainest  village  church  to  the  magnificent 
structures  of  Amiens  and  Strasburg.  Till  this  is 
not  only  felt  and  appreciated,  but  reduced  to  prac- 
tice, little  beauty  will  result  from  the  most  accurate 
imitation  of  details.  How  great  is  the  value  of  these 
principles  in  comparison  with  mere  knowledge  of 
detail,  any  one  may  judge  who  contrasts  some  of 

* A few  modern  edifices  might  be  named  which,  like  the 
noble  hall  of  Christ’s  Hospital,  stand  forward  among  their  con- 
temporaries, and  are  worthy  of  the  best  Gothic  era : but  how 
small  a proportion  do  they  constitute  ! 


1 


Sir  Christopher  Wren’s  Gothic  works  with  many 
of  the  present  day.  The  latter  have  a coating  of 
tolerably  correct  Gothic ; the  former,  barbarous  in 
the  extreme  as  regards  ornament,  yet  evince  a 
clear  perception  of  the  higher  and  more  important 
beauties  of  the  style.  The  tower  of  Warwick 
Church  is  quite  a study  for  the  architect ; it  teaches 
him  how  details  ill-designed  and  unsightly  in  them- 
selves are,  by  the  mere  force  of  composition,  made 
to  assume  a most  imposing  appearance.  At  a short 
distance  this  tower  would  bear  comparison  even 
with  that  of  Gloucester.  The  student  is  too  apt 
to  overlook  buildings  of  this  sort,  as  well  as  those 
Italianising  churches  common  in  France,  as  utter 
barbarisms ; and  yet  their  otherwise  “ unprofitable 
magnificence”  may  have  its  peculiar  use,  as  shewing 
to  how  great  an  extent  it  is  possible  to  compensate 
for  a defective  knowledge  in  the  minor  parts  by 
beauty  of  arrangement  and  composition.  Had 
Gothic  buildings  been  popular  in  Sir  Christopher 
Wren’s  time,  had  he  been  induced  to  follow  up  the 
art  of  which  he  so  boldly  seized  the  first  principles, 
and  to  graft  appropriate  details  upon  his  designs 
in  this  style,  he  would  probably  have  raised  it  even 
to  a greater  degree  of  splendour  than  it  had  yet 
attained. 


8 


No  art  seems  so  completely  to  shun  the  guid- 
ance of  definite  written  rules,  while  it  so  evidently 
relies  on  some  unexplained  fundamental  laws,  as 
this  of  Gothic  architecture.  Let  any  traveller 
attempt  to  form  a theory  on  the  subject.  The  first 
church  he  examines  may  convince  him  that  great 
height  is  absolutely  necessary  : the  buttresses  taper 
upwards  in  several  stages,  and  are  surmounted  by 
fine  pinnacles ; the  lofty  clerestory  rises  above  the 
aisles,  and  is  in  its  turn  surmounted  by  a tower, 
itself  bearing  a spire  almost  equal  in  height  to  the 
rest  of  the  building.  Here,  he  may  say,  appear  the 
true  principles  of  the  art ; in  any  other  proportions 
they  cannot  exist.  And  yet  perhaps  he  is  next 
called  upon  to  notice  a church  almost  touching  the 
ground  with  the  eaves  of  its  roof,  having  a tower 
whose  height  scarce  exceeds  its  breadth  ; never- 
theless he  is  obliged  to  confess  that  it  is  essentially 
Gothic ; that  it  could  not  have  been  any  thing 
else ; that,  humble  as  it  may  be,  it  offers  nothing 
mean,  offensive,  or  incongruous.  In  one  place  he 
will  stop  to  admire  a minster  whose  towers,  tur- 
rets, chapels,  and  transepts,  seem  purposely  so 
arranged  as  to  break  and  vary  the  outline  as  much 
as  possible ; presently  he  falls  in  with  a building 
as  plain  as  a Grecian  temple.  One  edifice  is 


9 


striking  from  its  great  length,  another  is  compact 
and  pyramidical ; and  yet  all,  from  the  rudest 
Saxon  to  the  most  florid  Gothic,  from  the  simplest 
chapel  to  the  richest  cathedral,  are  recognised  as 
belonging  to  one  family : and  though  it  is  impos- 
sible to  say  in  what  the  resemblance  consists,  still 
there  is  a very  decided  one,  and  this  not  produced 
by  arbitrary  rules,  but  by  some  general  though  in- 
explicable law.  The  extensive  range  which  this 
allows,  while  it  seems  to  give  the  modern  architect 
a better  chance  of  falling  within  its  sphere  acci- 
dentally, does  in  fact  offer  the  greatest  obstacles 
to  actual  discovery ; but  if  it  were  possible  to  im- 
press the  conviction,  that  some  principle  has  yet  to 
be  discovered,  it  might  be  hoped  that  much  talent 
and  energy  would  be  directed  to  the  search,  which 
is  now  wasted  upon  meagre  copies  and  incongruous 
adaptations. 

It  is  not  always  that  mere  copies  will  answer 
our  purpose : the  form  and  arrangement  which  was 
the  best  three  or  four  centuries  ago  may  now  in- 
volve much  inconvenience  and  loss  of  space;  on 
which  account  it  is  the  more  necessary  to  pursue 
the  inquiry  after  general  principles,  which  may 
enable  us  to  turn  to  account  the  style  of  the 


10 


middle  ages  in  buildings  designed  to  meet  the  exi- 
gences of  the  present  day. 

That  our  architects  are  well  versed  in  the 
details  of  the  Gothic  style,  and  that  we  have 
abundance  of  workmen  capable  of  executing  them 
with  the  greatest  delicacy,  is  proved  both  by  mo- 
dern buildings  and  the  repairs  of  older  ones.  York 
and  Beverley  furnish  good  examples,  and,  above 
all,  the  new  tower  of  Canterbury  Cathedral.  In 
mechanical  contrivance  we  are  probably  at  least 
equal  to  the  architects  whose  stupendous  works 
astonish  us  at  this  day ; but  the  subject  of  propor- 
tion seems  to  have  been  unaccountably  neglected. 
If  you  start  on  a tour  with  a view  of  obtaining 
architectural  specimens,  and  consult  any  traveller 
or  guide-book,  you  will  be  directed  to  buildings 
remarkable  for  their  size,  or  richness,  or  antiquity, 
or  some  peculiarity  of  detail;  but  the  most  truly 
beautiful  models,  the  most  perfect  specimens  of 
that  harmony  of  proportion  now  so  little  under- 
stood, you  will  have  to  discover  yourself : they  are 
daily  passed  by  crowds  even  of  active  and  ob- 
servant travellers,  and  yet  remain  unnoticed. 

Besides  the  proportions  of  the  structure  itself, 
it  is  clear  that  our  ancestors  attended  to  its  posi- 


11 


tion,  and  the  objects  surrounding  and  likely  to 
surround  it.  When  Gothic  churches  were  built, 
the  houses  also  were  in  some  style  which  har- 
monised with  them.  In  most  old  towns  we  find 
numbers  of  Gothic  doors,  windows,  and  other  de- 
tails, scattered  about,  belonging  to  private  dwell- 
ings; as  in  York,  Chester,  Glastonbury,  Exeter, 
Rouen,  Dijon,  Avignon,  Cologne,  and  almost  every 
town  in  Holland  and  Belgium.  The  monastic 
buildings  attached  to  churches  were  of  a similar 
style,  and  these,  in  all  probability,  did  not  greatly 
differ  from  other  houses  of  the  same  standard; 
while  those  of  smaller  consequence,  though  rude 
in  their  materials  and  construction,  still  harmonised 
with  the  richest  Gothic.  Is  this  the  case  with  our 
flat  fronts,  square  windows,  low  roofs,  and  hori- 
zontal parapets?  Would  not  the  oldest  and  most 
perfect  Gothic  edifice,  if  it  ranged  in  a line  with 
these,  appear  to  be  out  of  character  ? 

We  cannot  help  noticing  how  much  the  scenery 
influenced  the  design  of  the  builder.  In  a flat 
country  the  principal  churches  are  lofty  in  their 
proportions,  and  have  high  steeples,  which  catch 
the  eye  at  a considerable  distance.  The  church 
of  Delft  in  Holland,  Antwerp  cathedral,  Mechlin, 
Cologne,  Frankfort,  Strasburg,  Milan,  all  occupy 


12 


stations  in  immense  level  tracts.  Ely  cathedral, 
Boston  in  Lincolnshire,  and  Howden  in  Yorkshire, 
afford  instances  of  towers  being  raised  to  a greater 
height  than  usual,  on  account  of  a similar  position. 
In  rocky  and  romantic  situations  a less  pretending 
edifice  is  preferable : many  of  the  Welsh  churches, 
from  their  extreme  simplicity,  are  the  best  models 
that  could  be  chosen.  The  small  bell-niche  over 
the  gable,  or  the  wooden  belfry*  where  the  climate 
admits  of  it,  or  a taper  spire  covered  with  slate  or 
shingle,  is  appropriate.  Switzerland,  as  may  be 
supposed,  affords  many  examples  of  happy  situa- 
tion. Though  most  of  the  churches  are  altogether 
devoid  of  architectural  character;  though  white- 
washed or  painted  on  the  outside;  though  the 
ornaments,  when  there  are  any,  are  often  heavy 
and  incongruous, — yet  I do  not  remember  a single 
instance  in  which  the  church  did  not  add  materially 
to  the  beauty  of  the  landscape.  It  is  likely  a pro- 
fessed architect  would  turn  with  contempt  from 
these  unpretending  structures ; yet  he  might  do 
worse  than  take  a few  hints  from  them,  and  find 

* This  is  often  stigmatised  as  resembling  a pigeon-house.  Is 
the  association  altogether  an  improper  one  ? On  looking  at 
Bingham,  we  find  that  one  of  the  old  names  for  a church  was 
“ domus  columbee.” 


13 


out  in  what  their  peculiar  beauty  consists.  And 
it  may  be  remarked,  that  except  in  the  very  moun- 
tainous tracts,  which  occupy  but  a small  proportion 
of  the  country,  Swiss  scenery  has  a decidedly 
English  character ; and  consequently  Swiss  models 
might  be  used  to  advantage  in  many  parts  of  our 
own  country. 

I should,  indeed,  be  sorry  to  see  a continental 
manner  generally  introduced  and  established  in 
the  building  of  English  churches.  The  models 
we  have  of  our  own,  scattered  abundantly  through 
every  county,  are  the  very  best  we  could  procure : 
our  parish  churches,  taking  them  in  the  aggregate, 
may  be  pronounced  the  most  venerable,  the  most 
truly  beautiful,  the  most  durable  in  appearance,  of 
any  of  their  class;  and,  still  more,  they  are  en- 
deared to  us  by  every  association.  On  this  account, 
it  is  the  more  painful  to  see  them  imperfectly  or 
unworthily  imitated ; while,  at  the  same  time,  many 
circumstances  may  occur  which  render  it  inexpe- 
dient, or  even  impossible,  to  follow  exactly  their 
proportions  or  arrangement.  Hence  a wider  range, 
and  a greater  variety  of  examples,  than  is  to  be 
found  in  our  own  country,  becomes  useful,  both 
by  overthrowing  such  rules  of  a narrow  and  re- 
stricting character  as  have  been  derived  from 


14 


limited  observations,  and  by  shewing  how  exigen- 
ces have  been  met,  which  would  force  the  archi- 
tect who  is  unacquainted  with  any  beside  English 
specimens  to  rely  too  much  on  his  own  invention. 
Many  continental  features,  if  adopted  with  discre- 
tion, might  not  only  give  a pleasing  variety  to  our 
buildings,  but  prove  exceedingly  useful  in  meeting 
cases  for  which  English  architecture  has  less  per- 
fectly provided.  The  circular  or  polygonal  apse, 
the  light  central  octagon,  the  tall  slender  turret, 
the  tower  surmounted  by  gables,  are  of  compara- 
tively rare  occurrence  in  England,  while  they 
constitute  the  principal  beauties  of  many  conti- 
nental churches.  And  though  probably  some  of 
the  best  and  most  perfect  compositions  are  to  be 
found  in  this  country,  yet  the  great  number  of 
different  combinations  of  outline  that  are  presented 
to  the  student,  during  even  a very  limited  conti- 
nental tour,  will  not  fail  to  be  most  useful  in  form- 
ing his  judgment,  and  may  furnish  him  with  sug- 
gestions to  be  acted  upon  according  to  a variety 
of  contingences.  Again,  much  may  be  learnt  of 
the  earlier  styles  of  Gothic  upon  the  Continent 
which  is  actually  lost  as  far  as  English  specimens 
are  concerned.  Our  churches  are  almost  uniformly 
finished  in  the  later  styles ; and  it  is  only  in  very 


15 


small  churches  that  the  original  character  is  pre- 
served in  any  degree  of  purity : Norman  towers 
have  battlements  and  pinnacles  of  perpendicular 
character  — windows  of  a late  style  are  introduced 
into  early  fronts.  Now  on  the  Continent,  though 
there  is  often  as  much  dilapidation,  there  is  seldom 
so  much  alteration  and  insertion ; and  even  where 
later  repairs  have  been  necessary,  enough  is  gene- 
rally left  to  enable  us  to  judge  of  the  original 
building.  How  much  some  groundwork  of  this 
kind  is  wanted,  any  one  may  determine,  who  has 
noticed  our  modern  imitations  of  either  the  Nor- 
man or  early  English  style. 

No  one  will  dispute  the  necessity  of  providing 
church  accommodation  in  large  towns : but  it  is 
perhaps  in  remote  and  not  very  populous  districts, 
and  out-lying  hamlets  in  extensive  parishes,  that 
the  want  of  new  churches  is  the  most  severely  felt ; 
and  in  such  cases  it  must  frequently  happen  that 
the  funds  will  not  be  adequate  for  any  thing  be- 
yond the  plainest  and  simplest  building.  Yet,  to 
resume  my  leading  proposition,  it  ought  to  be  the 
best  in  our  power;  to  have  a certain  dignity  of 
appearance  which  shall  distinguish  it  above  all 
surrounding  objects  : and  this  seems  to  be  the  real 
field  for  the  genius  of  an  architect,  as  he  cannot. 


16 


in  such  a case,  disguise  false  principles  or  bad  pro- 
portions by  redundancy  of  ornament.  If  he  would 
attack  the  main  difficulties  of  his  art,  let  him  study 
to  produce  a perfect  model,  with  but  little  reference 
to  any  details  of  style,  and  at  the  least  possible 
expense  consistent  with  durability  : having  attained 
this,  he  will  easily  learn  to  add  as  much  decoration 
as  he  pleases. 

Should  any  general  remarks,  or  notices  of 
buildings  which  occur  in  these  pages,  give  a single 
useful  suggestion  to  the  student  anxious  to  attain 
this  object,  I shall  not  consider  the  time  I have 
bestowed  upon  them  to  be  thrown  away. 


CHAPTER  II. 


CLASSIFICATION  OF  STYLES. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  ascertain  by  whom,  or  at 
what  period,  the  arch  was  first  invented.  As, 
however,  those  styles  of  architecture  in  which  it 
does  not  appear  involve  the  use  of  large  masses, 
whether  of  stone  or  some  other  material,  and  as 
there  are  many  parts  of  the  world  where  such 
could  not  have  been  obtained  with  any  degree  of 
facility,  we  might  fairly  assign  a very  early  date  to 
the  invention.  We  know  that  brick  was  used  in 
the  construction  of  the  Tower  of  Babel,  and  also 
of  the  cities  built  by  Pharaoh  during  the  bondage 
of  the  Israelites  in  Egypt;  and  it  is  not  easy  to 
conceive  a brick  building  of  any  importance  that 
does  not  in  some  part  or  another  involve  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  arch. 

But  the  earliest  fabrics  with  which  we  are  at 
present  acquainted,  having  this  for  a marked  and 
leading  feature,  are  those  of  the  Romans.  When 
they  first  became  established  in  their  territory, 

VOL.  i.  c 


18 


they  found,  on  the  one  hand,  the  colonnades  of  the 
Greeks,  and,  on  the  other,  the  arched  and  vaulted 
buildings  of  the  Etrurians  ;*  and  as  it  was  natural 
that  in  the  infancy  of  their  city  they  should  invite 
artists  from  both  quarters,  they  thus  gave  rise  to 
a style  combining,  or  professing  to  combine,  the 
two  principles ; a style  not  indeed  without  incon- 
gruities^ but  at  the  same  time  capable  of  consi- 
derable grandeur  and  elegance.  Witness  the  am- 
phitheatres, temples,  monuments,  and  triumphal 
arches,  which  remain  at  this  day. 

On  the  decline  of  classical  art,  architects,  while 
they  corrupted  the  ornamental  details,  yet  cleared 
the  style  in  great  measure  of  its  inconsistencies,  by 
rejecting  those  Grecian  elements  which  had  hitherto 
predominated ; and  thus  produced,  or  laid  the  foun- 
dation of,  a style  harmonising  to  a certain  degree 
with  the  classical,  and  not  altogether  neglecting  its 
proportions : the  round  arch  became  the  main 
feature,  and  the  entablature  disappeared,  or  was 
marked  only  by  string-courses  of  small  projection. 
This  we  will  call  the  early  Romanesque;  and  it 

* See  Moller’s  Memorials  of  German- Gothic  Architecture, 
chap.  ii. 

f Whewell’s  Architectural  Notes  (1835),  p.  218;  Hope’s 
Historical  Essay  on  Architecture,  chap.  viii. 


19 


seems  to  have  been  the  architecture  of  the  Chris- 
tian basilicas  of  Rome,  and  the  domical  churches 
built  by  Constantine  in  the  East.  Though  few,  if 
any,  of  the  earliest  specimens  remain  in  their  ori- 
ginal form,  yet  the  style  is  represented  by  several 
buildings  in  Italy,  the  south  of  France,  and  espe- 
cially Germany,  belonging  even  to  as  late  a period 
as  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries,* 

But  long  before  that  time  a new  principle  had 
been  at  work.  The  shafts  began  to  lose  their 
classical  proportions,  and  were  more  frequently 

r 

clustered  together  into  compound  piers ; the  archi- 
trave of  the  arch  partook  of  the  same  nature  as 
the  impost,  and  admitted  of  numerous  mouldings, 
which  were  still  further  enriched  by  a profusion  of 
ornament.  In  short,  the  late  Romanesque,  or 
Norman,  became  established,  of  which  perhaps  the 
richest  specimens  exist  in  England ; but  they  may 
be  found  more  free  from  mixture,  and  of  greater 
extent,  in  Normandy  and  other  parts  of  France. 

The  principle  of  a predominant  vertical  line 
might  already  be  traced ; but  much  more  was  re- 

* Perhaps  much  later.  I cannot  help  thinking  small  churches 
were  in  some  districts  built  in  this  manner  throughout  the  whole 
period  in  which  Gothic  prevailed. 


20 


quired  for  its  full  development.  A form  of  arch, 
hitherto  used  sparingly  and  of  necessity,  was 
found  to  harmonise  with  the  lengthened  shafts, 
clustered  pillars,  and  lofty  vaults,  which  had  be- 
come usual.  The  prevalence  of  the  pointed  arch, 
though  not  without  mixture,  marks  the  Transition 
style,  which  is  represented  in  our  own  country  by 
the  first  and  plainest  specimens  of  early  English, 
and  by  such  buildings  as  the  choir  of  Canter- 
bury Cathedral,  where  Norman  features  and  or- 
naments have  not  disappeared,  and  yet  there  is 
an  evident  advancement  towards  the  complete 
Gothic.  On  the  Continent  we  meet  with  speci- 
mens of  a far  more  decided  character,  which  we 
shall  have  occasion  to  notice. 

We  now  come  to  the  full  development  of  the 
style,  in  what  may  be  called  the  early  complete 
Gothic.  In  this  we  find  shafts  of  great  height 
clustered  together,  with  delicately  flowered  capitals, 
and  a round  or  polygonal  abacus ; lofty  pointed 
arches,  with  rich  and  deep  mouldings ; ribbed 
vaults,  and  windows  formed  of  a combination  of 
lights,  with  geometrical  tracery.  Flying  buttresses, 
elegant  pinnacles,  and  angular  canopies,  which  are 
often  crocketed,  enrich  the  exterior.  Foliation  is 


21 


used  freely,  but  is  not  essential.  The  shaft  is  in- 
troduced abundantly,  and  may  be  said  to  mark  the 
style  in  large  buildings.  Some  of  our  most  finished 
early  English  and  early  decorated  churches  repre- 
sent this  style  in  perfection ; and  fine  examples 
abound  on  the  Continent.  We  might  name  Co- 
logne, the  nave  of  Strasburg,  parts  of  Freyburg, 
Amiens,  and  many  others* 

Yet,  complete  and  beautiful  as  this  style  is, 
it  was  perhaps  felt  to  have  a certain  degree  of 
severity,  which  might  lead  it  into  the  danger  of 
becoming  monotonous.  A new  element  was 
therefore  introduced  — a prevalence  of  angular 
edges,  instead  of  convex  or  cylindrical  surfaces : 
by  means  of  these,  with  narrow  flat  faces  and  bold 
concavities,  a rich  effect  is  produced,  at  less  ex- 
pense and  in  greater  variety.  Shafts  with  capitals, 
though  often  used,  were  no  longer  the  same  pro- 
minent feature;  foliation  became  much  more  ne- 
cessary. A great  alteration  took  place  in  the 
tracery,  which,  instead  of  being  formed  of  geome- 
trical figures  touching  each  other,  branched  out 
into  ramifications,  either  in  free  and  bold  curves, 
as  in  our  late  decorated  and  the  continental  Flam- 
boyant, or  in  lines  preserving  the  vertical  direction 


22 


of  the  mullions,  as  in  our  perpendicular.  The 
mullion  itself  also  had  a more  decided  character, 
and  not  only  appeared  in  the  window,  but  was 
often  repeated  in  panelling  over  a large  surface 
of  the  building.  The  form  of  the  arch,  too,  was 
more  varied,  especially  at  a late  period ; and  tran- 
soms, and  even  square  heads  to  windows,  were 
admitted,  by  which  they  might  be  more  easily 
adapted  to  the  space  they  were  designed  to  occupy. 
This  style  we  will  call  the  late  complete  Gothic, 
which  both  in  England  and  on  the  Continent  com- 
prehends a very  extensive  range  of  buildings. 

The  art  having  reached  its  summit,  now  began 
to  decline ; in  our  own  country  by  a gentle  and 
gradual  decay,  shewing  itself  rather  in  the  careless 
working  of  details  than  by  the  intrusion  of  any  thing 
really  at  variance  with  the  principles  of  the  style. 
But  on  the  Continent  the  case  is  different.  In 
France  the  introduction  of  classical  elements  very 
soon  affected  the  purity  of  the  Gothic;  while  in 
Germany  and  Belgium  fanciful  imitations  and  ar- 
rangements took  place  of  correct  and  scientific 
design.  In  Italy  the  classical  taste  can  hardly  be 
said  ever  to  have  been  quite  extinct : her  architec- 
ture, throughout  the  whole  period  from  the  decline 


23 


to  the  revival  of  the  arts,  bears  manifest  traces  of 
it ; and  therefore  we  cannot  wonder  at  seeing  it 
obtain  an  early  and  complete  ascendancy,  the  effect 
of  which  was  felt  by  degrees  at  a distance. 

In  northern  countries  Gothic  was  a favourite 
style,  hallowed  by  religion,  chivalry,  and  art ; and 
the  inroads  of  any  principle  at  variance  with  it 
could  not  work  its  overthrow  without  a severe 
struggle ; whence  we  often  see  magnificent  churches 
of  Gothic  proportions  almost  entirely  made  up  of 
Italian  details.  St.  Eustache  in  Paris  is  a fine 
example  of  this ; and  the  chancel  of  St.  Pierre  at 
Caen  is  a rich  specimen  of  Italianising  Gothic.  In 
England  the  innovation  is  more  gradual;  and 
though  in  small  churches  we  occasionally  meet 
with  members  referable  to  a classic  rather  than  a 
Gothic  origin,  yet  it  is  mostly  in  domestic  buildings 
that  we  are  to  look  for  the  really  debased  Gothic. 

But  even  when  the  style  became  extinct,  the 
taste  was  not  quite  subdued.  Architects  had  been 
accustomed  to  enrich  their  buildings  with  innumer- 
able small  compartments  of  panelling  and  minute 
ornament : thus  their  successors,  instead  of  the 
simple  colonnade  and  expansive  arch,  used  a pro- 
fusion of  small  columns,  entablatures,  pediments. 


24 


and  arches,  encrusting  the  face  of  the  building  with 


classical  detail,  as  the  former  architects  had  done 
with  Gothic.  The  style  thus  formed  is  usually 
called  “cinque  cento,”  from  the  period  in  which 
it  first  began  to  prevail,  and  has  a rich  and  mag- 
nificent effect.  Witness  Heidelberg  Castle,  and 
many  of  our  own  domestic  edifices;  in  some  of 
which,  even  where  a profusion  of  ornament  is  not 


25 


used,  the  character  is  preserved  by  lofty  propor- 
tions and  a division  into  different  stages.  Our 
Elizabethan  houses  belong  rather  to  this  class  than 
to  any  other. 

After  this  comes  the  revived  Italian*  — in  Italy 
really  revived : not  a cold  and  formal  imitation  of 
the  antique,  but  seizing  upon  its  principles  and 
animated  by  its  spirit ; adapting  itself  to  the  differ- 
ent exigencies  of  the  period,  and  forming  new  com- 
binations as  required.  In  this  style  we  may  boast 
of  works  of  very  great  beauty : I need  only  name 
St.  Paul’s,  which,  whatever  faults  occur  in  the 
details,  must  be  acknowledged  a masterpiece  of 
design,  proportion,  and  composition. 

As  the  revived  Italian  is,  in  fact,  a repetition 
of  the  old  Roman,  we  have  completed  the  circle. 
We  might,  in  different  points  of  it,  find  the  germs 


* We  must  not  fail  to  take  into  consideration  the  gradual 
manner  in  which  the  revived  arts  spread  through  Europe.  We 
might  find  in  Italy  buildings  of  a good  revived  Italian  earlier  in 
date  than  any  of  our  own  cinque  cento , and  contemporaneous  with 
our  debased,  or  even  late  Perpendicular  Gothic.  The  cinque  cento , 
such  as  we  have  noticed  it,  seems  to  be  mostly  found  where  a 
rich  complete  Gothic  has  prevailed ; but  an  analogous  style  paves 
the  way  to  the  revived  classical  in  Italy.  S.  Maria  delle  Grazie 
at  Milan,  and  the  front  of  the  Certosa  of  Pavia,  are  instances. 


26 


of  Turkish,,  Russian,  Indian,  or  Moorish  architec- 
ture ; or,  on  the  contrary,  we  might  look  to  these 
as  having  exercised  an  external  influence  on  the 
styles  we  have  noticed.  But  such  investigations 
concern  the  historian  and  antiquary,  upon  whose 
province  I do  not  wish  to  intrude. 


CHAPTER  III. 


ON  THE  ROMAN  AND  REVIVED  ITALIAN. 

As  our  business  is  with  styles  rather  than  dates,  we 
will  treat  the  Roman  and  revived  Italian  as  iden- 
tical, and  refer  indifferently  to  either,  as  occasion 
requires. 

The  chief  characteristic  of  these  is  an  attempt 
to  combine  the  Grecian  column  and  entablature 
with  the  arch  ; which  is  done,  in  the  first  place, 
by  introducing  the  arch  upon  imposts  between  two 
columns,  the  latter  either  standing  free,  or  engaged 
in  the  wall,  or  appearing  as  mere  pilasters.  The 
amphitheatre  at  Nismes  has  two  stages  of  this 
arrangement.  The  lower  one  has  a series  of 
pilasters,  with  their  respective  portions  of  entabla- 
ture projecting  beyond  that  carried  round  the 
building ; and  each  interval  is  occupied  by  an  arch. 
The  upper  stage  consists  of  corresponding  columns 
on  pedestals,  engaged  in  the  wall,  and  carrying 
also  their  projecting  entablatures:  the  arches,  of 
course,  correspond  with  those  below*;  and  the 


28 


whole  is  crowned  with  a small  attic.  Here  it  is 
evident  that  the  column  or  pilaster,  with  its  appur- 
tenances, is  no  more  than  an  ornament ; for  the 
amazing  thickness  of  the  walls,  shewn  as  it  is  in 
the  open  arches,  renders  a buttress  quite  unne- 
cessary even  in  appearance.  Nevertheless  the 
effect  is  exceedingly  fine.  The  order  is  either 
Tuscan  or  Doric. 

The  amphitheatre  at  Arles  has  a similar  ar- 
rangement ; but  the  arches  appear  to  be  wider  in 
proportion  to  their  intermediate  masses.  Indeed, 
it  struck  me  that  the  edifice  would  not  lose  any 
beauty  from  the  disappearance  of  the  pilasters 
and  columns,  which  has  taken  place  in  some 
measure  from  the  effect  of  time.  The  upper  part, 
including  the  entablature,  has  been  entirely  de- 
stroyed. The  tower  introduced  in  the  sketch  is 
of  later  date,  being  one  of  four  erected  on  the  car- 
dinal points  about  the  end  of  the  eighth  century, 
when  the  building  was  used  as  a fortress.  The 
lower  range  is  Doric  or  Tuscan ; the  upper  one  is 
stated  to  be  Corinthian.  I did  not  notice  any 
capitals;  but  I understand  that  a single  one  re- 
mains.* Both  of  these  amphitheatres  are  still 


* Etudes  sur  Arles  : an  interesting  local  work. 


29 


perfect  in  their  ground-plan,  and  the  interior  ellip- 
tical area  of  each  is  well  cleared  and  accurately 
defined. 

The  engaged  pillar  or  pilaster  often  supports 
a continuous  entablature,  and,  as  before,  alternates 
with  the  arch.  This  seems  to  be  the  case — (if  I 
have  been  enabled  to  make  out  the  details  with 
any  clearness) — in  the  lower  range  of  the  theatre 
at  Orange,  where  no  projection  of  entablature  cor- 


responds with  the  pilaster;  and  the  arrangement 


30 


is  common  in  revived  Italian  churches.  In  this 
case  the  columns  or  pilasters,  constituting  to  all 
appearance  the  main  support  of  the  entablature, 
must,  to  admit  the  intermediate  arches,  stand  at 
an  extravagant  distance  from  each  other : at  least 
the  artist  must  be  very  careful  and  skilful  if  he 
can  avoid  producing  such  an  effect. 

Another  method  is  to  make  the  arch  itself 
spring  from  an  entablature.  The  temple  of  Diana 
at  Nismes,  which  has  a cylindrical  roof  with  ribs 
above  the  cornice,  may  be  cited  as  an  ancient  ex- 
ample. But  the  revived  Italian  owes  some  of  its 
greatest  beauties  to  this  arrangement.  In  churches 
with  a central  dome,  nothing  can  be  finer  than  the 
arches  so  situated,  bounding  the  vault  of  the  nave 
and  the  other  limbs  of  the  cross.  Of  those  I have 
seen  I may  name  S.  Alessandro  at  Milan,  and  the 
Annunciata,  Carignana,  S.  Ambrogio,  and  many 
others,  in  Genoa.  In  short,  wherever  there  is  a 
dome,  this  beauty  will  be  found ; and  provided  the 
proportions  are  well  preserved,  which  is  not  diffi- 
cult, there  is  no  position  in  which  the  round  arch 
appears  to  greater  advantage. 

It  is  common  to  make  the  pier,  in  the  nave  of 
a church,  consist  of  a single  column,  with  its  own 
proper  entablature,  from  which  spring  the  arches. 


31 


This  is  done  in  many  London  churches.  A con- 
vent near  Genoa  offers  a very  beautiful  example, 
the  columns  being  of  white  marble : the  order,  if 
I recollect  right,  is  Doric.  This  or  the  Tuscan  is 
best  suited  to  the  purpose ; as  the  height  of  a Co- 
rinthian capital  would  add  much  to  the  heaviness, 
which  in  any  case  is  far  from  pleasing. 

The  pier  is  also  frequently  composed  of  two 
columns,  standing  free  from  each  other  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  nave,  and  supporting  an  entablature, 
from  which  rise  the  arches.  By  this  the  heavy 
appearance  of  the  last  is  avoided;  but  it  seems 
fitter  for  the  front  of  a building  than  for  a range 
in  the  interior  of  a church.  If  the  longitudinal 
and  transverse  diameter  of  a pier  be  unequal,  the 
latter  ought  to  be  the  greater,  both  on  mechanical 
principles  and  for  optical  effect.  This  was  found 
out  and  acted  upon  at  an  early  date  of  Gothic 
architecture ; for  wherever  the  column  is  doubled, 
the  line  which  would  pass  through  the  two  is  al- 
most invariably  at  right  angles  with  the  direction 
of  the  arcade.  We  find,  however,  many  pleasing 
examples  among  the  Genoese  churches : I may 
notice  S.  Ciro  as  one  of  the  best.  This  arrange- 
ment prevails  in  the  Saoli  palace,  one  of  the  finest 
specimens  of  composition  in  Genoa.  The  order 


32 


seems  immaterial : even  the  Ionic,  which  seldom 
harmonises  well  with  the  arch,  here  appears  in 
character. 

Another  plan  is  to  make  the  arch  spring  at 
once  from  the  capital  of  the  column,  or  from  im- 
posts without  any  column  at  all,  and  crown  the 
whole  either  with  an  entablature  or  a cornice. 
This  system  is  at  least  free  from  inconsistency; 
but  instead  of  a combination,  it  should  be  called  a 
separation  of  the  two  principles : it  belongs,  in 
fact,  rather  to  the  next  class  than  to  this.  The 
Annunciata  at  Genoa  is  a fine  example,  and  is 
probably  among  the  earliest  churches  of  the  re- 
vival. Here  the  columns  are  Composite.  The 
Tuscan  is  often  used.  When  the  Corinthian  is 
chosen,  it  ought  not  to  be  very  lofty  in  its  pro- 
portions, and  the  capital  may  be  spread  out  more 
than  is  usual  in  classical  specimens.  In  the  upper 
part  of  the  theatre  at  Orange  is  an  arcade  sup- 
ported by  small  pilasters : such  might  occur  in 
Romanesque,  or  even  in  Norman. 

Many  buildings  may  be  considered  as  mixed : 
for  instance,  where  a portico  on  the  Grecian  prin- 
ciple projects  from  a body  that  has  arches,  as  at 
St.  Paul’s ; or  where  different  stages  are  built  ac- 
cording to  different  systems,  as  in  the  theatre  of 


Cj 


33 


Orange.  A most  beautiful  specimen  of  this  de- 
scription is  the  ancient  monument  at  St.  Remy, 
near  Arles.  One  stage  is  entirely  allotted  to 
sculpture,  which  is  at  the  same  time  delicate 
and  spirited.  Above  is  a square  compartment, 
with  engaged  Corinthian  columns  at  the  corners, 
and  an  arch  in  each  of  the  faces.  Over  this  is 
a round  open  peristyle  of  Corinthian  columns, 
supporting  an  entablature  and  Small  cupola.  In 
the  space  surrounded  by  these  columns  are  two 
statues.  The  whole  is  very  perfect.  Close  at 
hand  are  the  remains  of  a triumphal  arch,  which 
is  still  more  remarkable  for  delicacy  of  workman- 
ship. The  hexagonal  panelling  on  its  inner  sur- 
face is  of  the  finest  execution ; this  seems  to 
have  been  a common  ornament,  and  is  much  used 
in  the  revived  Italian. 

The  arrangement  of  churches  in  the  classical 
style  admits  of  great  variety.  Some  are  simple 
domes,  having  merely  small  recesses  for  the  porch 
and  altar.  Others  are  in  the  form  of  a cross,  with 
a large  dome  at  the  intersection,  and  smaller  ones 
over  the  aisles.  Of  this  description  is  the  Carig- 
nana,  one  of  the  handsomest  churches  in  Genoa. 
The  limbs  of  the  cross  are  of  equal  length,  except 
that  the  eastern  one  has  a projecting  apse,  and 

VOL.  I.  D 


34 


the  aisles,  which  come  up  to  the  respective  fronts, 
are  consequently  square,  and  also  make  the  whole 
building  a square,  broken  only  by  the  apse.  Each 
of  the  aisles  is  covered  with  a hemispherical  dome. 
The  massiveness  of  the  central  piers,  the  simple 
construction  of  the  vaulting  (which  is  cylindrical 
without  clerestory),  and  the  boldness  of  the  cor- 
nices, give  the  interior  a fine  effect.  S.  Ambrogio 
in  Genoa  has  aisles  consisting  of  two  squares, 
each  crowned  (internally)  with  a dome ; but  here 
there  is  a clerestory,  and  consequently  the  vault- 
ing has  lateral  cells.  This  church  owes  much  of 
its  beauty  to  the  richness  of  the  marbles  with 
which  it  is  ornamented. 

The  Annunciata  is  magnificent,  from  the  great 
length  of  the  nave,  and  the  height  of  the  piers, 
which  are  fluted  columns  of  red  marble.  The  west 
front  is  unfinished  as  regards  decoration,  but  its 
features  are  sufficiently  marked  to  render  a de- 
scription available  for  general  use.  It  consists  of 
two  stages : the  lower  one  is  divided  by  pilasters 
into  five  compartments,  of  which  that  in  the  centre 
is  the  widest,  and  contains  a handsome  marble 
doorway,  with  a slightly  projecting  porch,  formed 
by  two  columns  with  their  entablature.  In  the 
next  compartments  are  also  doors  cased  with  mar- 


35 


ble,  but  having  no  porches ; and  above  them  are 
windows  headed  with  a segmental  arch.  The  ex- 
treme compartments  have  only  niches  or  blank 
windows.  The  entablature  above  each  pilaster 
projects,  as  at  Nismes,  and  supports  the  corre- 
sponding pedestal  and  pilaster  of  the  stage  above. 
The  central  compartment  of  this  upper  stage  has 
a round-headed  window  between  two  square- 


36 


headed  ones,  and  is  surmounted  by  a pediment. 
The  intermediate  compartments  are  represented 
by  concave  slopes,  resting  on  the  attic  above  the 
lower  cornice.  The  extreme  compartments  form 
towers  with  segmental  belfry  windows ; each 
tower  supports  a small  cupola ; their  whole  height 
not  being  equal  to  that  of  the  central  pediment. 
This  description,  with  the  omission  of  the  flank- 
ing towers,  would  nearly  apply  to  a very  great 
number  of  fronts  both  in  Italy,  France,  Germany, 
and  Belgium.  It  is  more  common  than  the  plain 
Grecian  portico,  and  perhaps  better  suited  to 
the  rest  of  the  building.  But  it  is  often  a mere 
mask,  rising  considerably  above  the  roof;  and  at 
a little  distance  it  has  the  appearance  of  an  un- 
meaning portion  of  wall. 

The  finest  feature  of  this  style  is  unquestion- 
ably the  dome,  which  gives  both  to  the  exterior 
and  interior  of  a church  a degree  of  magnificence 
not  surpassed  by  the  richest  Gothic.  It  is  surpris- 
ing that  this  feature  should  have  been  so  rarely 
adopted  in  England  on  the  revival  of  classical 
architecture.  The  cause  of  this  may  be  the  in- 
frequency of  the  central  octagon  and  lantern  in 
English  Gothic;  as  on  the  Continent,  where  this 
abounds,  the  dome  of  the  revived  Italian  is  freely 


37 


used.  There  are  some  good  specimens  in  Paris : 
that  of  the  Hotel  des  Invalides  is  a beautiful  com- 
position. Very  few  of  the  numerous  churches  in 
Genoa  are  without  the  dome.  Some  are  round, 
some  octagonal,  some  spring  at  once  from  the 
drum,  others  from  an  attic  of  smaller  circum- 
ference. That  of  the  Carignana,  which  is  on  the 
latter  plan,  forms  a good  combination  with  two 
elegant  belfries  in  the  west  front.  A bold  cornice 
greatly  improves  the  beauty  of  the  Italian  dome ; 
and  much  depends  on  the  cupola  at  the  top.  This 
should  not  have  too  round  or  abrupt  a termination 
— a fault  we  remark  in  the  Pantheon  at  Paris : 
that  of  the  Invalides,  which  terminates  with  a taper 
spire,  is  much  the  handsomer  of  the  two.  Some- 
times the  drum  is  set  upon  a square  base ; but  this 
is  not  a common  arrangement.  When  the  plan 
is  circular,  and  the  windows  round-headed,  they 
ought  not  to  be  large,  or  a disagreeable  effect  will 
be  produced  by  the  double  curvature  of  the  arch. 
Perhaps  the  colonnade,  as  at  St.  Paul’s,  is  the  best 
external  ornament;  and  it  serves  to  screen  such 
buttresses  as  are  necessary  for  support. 

I say  nothing  of  churches  in  the  form,  and  with 
the  ornaments  and  members,  of  a Grecian  temple, 
as,  however  beautiful  they  may  be  externally,  the 


38 


interior  presents  insuperable  difficulties.  As  an 
exterior  nothing  can  exceed  the  Madeleine  at 
Paris ; but  on  entering  the  building  we  cannot  fail 
of  being  disappointed.  Neither  the  size  of  the 
columns,  nor  their  disposition,  nor  the  plan  of  the 
vaulting,  seems  appropriate ; and  this  not  from 
any  fault  of  the  architect,  but  from  the  very  nature 
of  the  case.  The  church  could  not  have  been 
arranged  to  give  such  an  effect  internally  as  the 
spectator  has  been  led  to  anticipate. 

A winter’s  residence  at  Nice  made  me  ac- 
quainted with  a very  interesting  though  unpre- 
tending class  of  buildings,  namely,  the  small  parish 
churches  and  chapels  of  the  revival.  Many  of 
these  might  almost  date  with  our  latest  Gothic 
churches  ; and  in  their  general  proportions  and 
character  they  do  not  differ  very  widely  from  them. 
The  usual  plan  contains  a nave  and  side  aisles,  an 
eastern  apse,  and  a belfry  standing  on  one  side 
near  the  east  end,  sometimes  engaged  in  the  aisle, 
sometimes  terminating  it,  and  occasionally  spring- 
ing from  the  nave  itself,  and  in  part  supported  by 
the  vaulting.  The  west  front  is  often  perfectly 
simple,  and  of  most  graceful  elevation.  The  clere- 
story windows,  when  there  are  any,  are  small,  and 
the  interior  is  never  over-lighted.  The  nave  and 


39 


aisles  are  vaulted ; the  former  with  the  cylindrical 
roof,  which  has  sometimes  round  or  even  pointed 
cells  branching  from  it,  and  the  latter  with  Roman 
vaulting.  The  piers  and  arches  are  frequently  with- 
out any  Grecian  admixture,  the  former  being  plain 
square  masses ; and  the  exterior,  though  some- 
times painted  in  fresco,  is  free  from  architectural 
ornament.  It  is  not  rarely  of  plain  white  brick, 
and  appears  as  if  the  architect  had  intended  to  case 
it  at  some  future  time  with  plaster  or  marble.  It 
is  often  so  attached  to  conventual  buildings,  that 
little  can  be  seen  besides  the  belfry  and  west  front. 
An  elegant  porch,  arched  and  vaulted,  in  some 
instances  adorns  the  latter;  but  the  belfry  is  the 
principal  feature,  and  admits  of  great  variety  both 
in  composition  and  ornament.  Here  pilasters  and 
entablatures  usually  appear,  even  when  they  are 
found  in  no  other  part  of  the  building.  The  form 
of  the  belfry  is  often  like  those  of  the  Annunciata 
at  Genoa,  having  the  square  tower,  and  round  or 
polygonal  drum  and  cupola;  but  they  are  varied 
in  proportion,  ornament,  and  even  colour,  to  an 
astonishing  degree.  Sometimes  the  tower  has 
several  stages ; sometimes  the  pilasters  are  doubled, 
or  else  form  a diagonal  face,  or  are  crowned  with 
small  pinnacles,  or  connected  with  the  cupola  by 


40 


buttresses  of  different  shapes.  A few  are  trian- 
gular in  their  plan,  and  some  are  circular  turrets ; 
others  bell-gables,  either  plain  or  with  a cornice. 
A slender  square  tower  is  occasionally  finished 
with  a spire,  having  also  but  four  sides ; and  some- 
times the  spire  so  situated  is  round  or  polygonal. 


NEAR  NICE. 


The  belfry -window  is  generally  single,  round- 
headed,  and  sufficiently  large  to  give  great  light- 


/ 


41 


ness ; while  the  position  of  the  tower  at  the  side 
entirely  takes  away  from  the  formality  too  often 
found  in  edifices  of  this  style.  As  an  example,  we 
may  notice  Turbia,  on  the  road  between  Genoa 
and  Nice.  Here  the  elegant  and  simple  belfry  sets 
off  a church  otherwise  heavy  and  uninteresting, 
and  contrasts  well  with  the  fine  old  Roman  ruin  in 
the  background. 

Whether  it  is  owing  to  the  peculiar  character 
of  the  scenery,  or  to  the  domestic  architecture  of 
the  country,  it  is  certain  these  buildings  are  re- 
markably pleasing  to  the  eye ; and  as  they  are 
rarely  of  stone,  or  at  least  allowed  to  keep  the 
colour  of  it,  I question  whether  we  might  not  take 
a hint  from  them  when  we  are  debarred  the  use  of 
that  material,  and  confined  to  brick  or  plaster.  And 
even  in  England  there  are  many  situations  where 
the  horizontal  lines  of  the  Italian  would  harmonise 
better  with  the  scenery  than  the  more  aspiring 
forms  of  Gothic. 

It  has  been  sometimes  asserted  that  the  Italian 
style  is  not  adapted  for  steeples,  from  the  necessity 
of  limiting  the  several  stages  in  their  height.  I 
cannot  see  the  force  of  the  objection.  Most  of  our 
Gothic  towers  are  divided  into  stages,  and  the 
divisions  are  often  very  strongly  marked.  It  is 


42 


true  that  belfry-windows  of  great  height  are  used 
with  excellent  effect  at  Lincoln,  Salisbury,  Caen, 
Norrey,  and  in  many  other  instances,  and  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  obtain  a like  effect  by 
classical  lines ; but  again,  many  of  our  handsomest 
steeples  have  windows  of  a very  moderate  height, 
and  quite  within  reach  of  classical  proportions. 
There  is  nothing  ungraceful  or  inelegant  in  such 
steeples  as  St.  Martin's,  St.  Mary-le-Bow,  and, 
above  all,  St.  Bride’s,  which  has  a lightness  and 
simplicity  not  surpassed  by  the  best  Gothic  spe- 
cimens. St.  John’s  at  Wolverhampton  has  a 
very  beautiful  steeple ; and  Mereworth  Church  in 
Kent  has  one  of  nearly  the  same  design.  The 
difficulty  seems  to  be,  not  in  the  construction  of 
the  steeple,  but  in  the  adaptation  of  it  to  the 
church.  From  the  comparative  smallness  of  its 
component  parts,  it  certainly  does  not  harmonise 
with  a simple  portico  as  high  as  the  nave.  This  is 
decidedly  a fault  in  St.  Martin’s,  where  both  fea- 
tures are  excellent  in  themselves,  but  do  not  agree  ; 
though  the  great  projection  of  the  portico  renders 
the  discordance  less  unpleasing  than  in  many  cases 
which  might  be  named.  If  there  be  no  porch,  the 
steeple  stands  ungracefully  over  a merely  orna- 
mental pediment,  or  else  by  its  projection  breaks 


43 


up  the  west  front ; a serious  evil  where  this  latter 
is  so  important  a part  of  the  fabric.  Perhaps  the 
difficulty  is  no  where  met  better  than  in  St. 
Mary -le- Strand,  where  an  elegant  semicircular 
portal  with  a half  cupola  rests  against  the  tower 
to  the  westward. 

The  usual  width  of  the  building  and  arrange- 
ment of  the  interior  prevent  any  thing  less  spacious 
than  a dome  from  occupying  the  centre ; and  the 
uniformity  which  is  generally  considered  essential 
in  a church  of  any  magnitude  makes  the  side  an 
objectionable  position.  On  the  Continent  the 
steeple  is  occasionally  placed  at  the  east  end : this 
is  done  in  the  magnificent  church  of  the  Jesuits  at 
Antwerp,  and  in  some  churches  at  Namur.  In 
Italy,  not  only  in  smaller  churches,  but  in  cathe- 
drals, it  stands  on  one  side ; as  at  Nice,  Mentone, 
and  other  places.  A detached  campanile  might 
sometimes  be  used  to  advantage. 

The  massive  square  tower,  of  the  proportion 
usual  in  our  Gothic  village  churches,  is  not  the 
most  consistent  with  the  style ; but  the  Lombard 
belfry,  which  we  will  speak  of  in  the  next  chapter, 
may  always  be  adopted  with  safety.  In  a convent 
near  Genoa,  already  noticed,  a low  square  tower 
occupies  the  centre  of  the  cross  — not  a common 


44 


arrangement  in  the  revival ; and  here  the  lines  of 
the  church  almost  lead  us  to  suppose  that  it  is  a 
Romanesque  building  modernised.  It  might,  how- 
ever, have  been  intended  to  raise  a dome  on  the 
square  base. 

The  roofs  and  gables  are  generally  much  de- 
pressed. A high-pitched  roof  occurs  in  the 
chapel  at  Versailles;  but  this  is  far  from  a pure 
specimen. 

The  Italian  is  perhaps  better  adapted  for  a 
church  than  Gothic,  where  it  is  necessary  to  en- 
close a wide  area  under  a single  roof,  or  to  have 
two  tiers  of  windows  on  account  of  galleries,  or 
when  the  front  must  range  with  modern  houses. 
Our  object  will  be  to  avoid,  on  the  one  hand  a 
heavy,  on  the  other  a meagre,  appearance.  Purely 
Grecian  combinations,  as  the  colonnade  with  its 
entablature,  should  be  used  very  sparingly;  and, 
above  all,  the  orders  employed  ought  to  be  Roman. 
Heavy  window-cases  and  key-stones  are  far  from 
an  improvement  to  the  arch ; in  fact,  as  the  key- 
stone is  not,  mechanically,  of  more  importance 
than  the  other  voussoirs,  it  seems  unnecessary  to 
mark  it  more  strongly,  and  it  destroys  the  beauty 
of  a continuous  curve.  The  architrave  of  the 
arch,  which  we  see  at  Nismes  and  St.  Remy,  as 


45 


well  as  the  arch  of  two  orders*  may  be  freely  used. 
Small  pediments*  especially  such  as  are  curved 
and  broken,  as  well  as  brackets*  should  be  rejected* 
or  most  cautiously  admitted ; and  square-headed 
or  segmental  windows*  though  we  find  plenty  of 
precedents*  seem  to  be  of  almost  too  domestic  a 
character  to  be  introduced  into  churches.  The 
Italian  clerestory  window  is  often  an  ellipse*  with 
the  smaller  axis  vertical*  and  sometimes  a semi- 
circle : in  these  positions  a complete  circle  might 
be  adopted.  A few  combinations  in  which  the 
inconsistencies  of  this  style  are  avoided*  while  its 
general  appearance  and  spirit  are  preserved*  will  be 
noticed  in  the  next  chapter. 


Note. — I have  spoken  of  the  east  and  west 
ends  of  churches*  as  if  the  rule  by  which  most  of 
our  Gothic  buildings  are  planned*  namely*  with 
the  altar  at  the  east  end*  had  been  generally  pre- 
served. Such,  however*  is  by  no  means  the  case. 
Many  churches  of  the  revival  stand  north  and 
south*  and  some  have  their  altars  inclined  rather 
to  the  west  than  otherwise.  This  will  often  mark 
the  distinction  between  the  Italian  and  Roman- 


46 


esque,  as  the  latter  more  nearly  observes  the  usual 
direction.  Nevertheless,  even  Norman  churches 
are  not  always  built  east  and  west.  The  direc- 
tions of  the  two  great  abbeys  of  Caen  would 
evidently  form  a considerable  angle ; and  each 
seems  to  have  a group  of  churches  following  its 
own  ground-line. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


ON  THE  EARLY  ROMANESQUE. 

As  in  Roman  buildings  the  Grecian  members  of 
the  system  often  took  the  character  of  mere  orna- 
ment, the  arch  with  its  piers  and  imposts  consti- 
tuting the  real  framework  of  the  fabric ; so  when 
strength  and  solidity  alone  were  required,  the 
Grecian  members  altogether  vanished,  and  a pure 
system  of  arches  was  retained. 

Such  is  the  Pont  du  Gard  in  Languedoc,  one 
of  the  noblest  of  the  Roman  aqueducts.  Two 
tiers  of  enormous  round  arches,  supporting  a third 
of  smaller  ones,  span  the  valley  of  the  Gardon. 
The  whole  is  built  of  large  blocks  of  squared 
stone,  many  of  which  project  from  the  face  of  the 
masonry ; and  it  is  perfectly  devoid  of  ornament, 
though  of  excellent  workmanship.  But  my  reason 
for  referring  to  it  at  present  is,  that  it  exactly 
gives,  though  in  gigantic  proportions,  the  side  of  a 
Romanesque  cathedral, — the  pier-arches,  the  tri- 
forium,  and  the  clerestory.  And  I am  mistaken  if 


48 


it  does  not  give  it  in  a much  grander  and  purer 
style  of  architecture  than  we  ever  find  it  in  reality. 
Here  are  no  prolonged  vertical  lines,  the  germs  of 
future  Gothic ; nor,  again,  is  the  horizontal  line, 
though  decidedly  marked,  forced  upon  the  eye  by 
any  rich  or  projecting  cornice,  as  in  the  Grecian 
and  Italian;  the  predominant  feature  is  the  arch 
itself,  in  its  simplest  and  most  perfect  form, — the 
semicircle ; and  no  other  kind  of  impost  could 
have  given  it  more  dignity,  though  perhaps  higher 
piers  would  be  better  suited  to  a church.  That 
the  architects  succeeding  those  of  the  classical 
period  had  works  of  this  character  in  their  eye,  I 
do  not  pretend  to  say ; but  it  will  not  be  amiss, 
while  considering  the  later  buildings  in  which  the 
round  arch  prevails,  to  keep  in  view  these  ancient 
types.  And  I lay  the  more  stress  upon  this,  as  a 
really  pure  Romanesque,  if  I may  be  allowed  the 
term,  is  a style  that  probably  does  not  exist ; archi- 
tecture having  passed  gradually  from  the  Roman 
to  the  Gothic,  without  stopping  to  attain  perfection 
at  a third  or  intermediate  point. 

But  that  such  perfection  has  never  been  con- 
templated, or  that  it  is  not  yet  attainable,  is  by  no 
means  evident.  We  have  seen,  from  a specimen 
of  revived  Italian,  that  a classical  column  may  be 


49 


made  to  bear  the  arch  (no  entablature  intervening) 
with  very  good  effect.  And  we  know  this  was 
done  on  the  decline  of  classical  architecture  ; Dio- 
clesian’s  palace  at  Spalatro  is  quoted  as  an  instance. 
And  in  the  primitive  Christian  churches,  the  co- 
lumns taken  from  the  heathen  temples,  and  other 
buildings,  were  applied  in  the  same  manner,*  the 
arches  of  the  nave  resting  upon  their  capitals,  as 
in  the  church  of  the  Annunciata. 

The  change  appears  to  have  been  wrought 
more  rapidly  and  decisively  in  the  East.  “ If,  on 
the  one  hand,  Constantinople  afforded  not,  in  the 
prostrate  porticos  and  peristyles  of  vast  and  nu- 
merous heathen  temples,  columns  sufficient  in  size 
and  number  for  the  erection  of  those  long  naves 
and  aisles  that  composed  the  chief  features  of  the 
Roman  basilicas ; on  the  other,  the  progress  made 
in  the  East  in  the  art  of  vaulting  enabled  its 
builders,  with  smaller  and  poorer  materials,  to  cast 
over  wider  spaces  bolder  arches  and  cupolas.  The 
long  vaultless  avenues,  therefore,  of  the  Roman 
basilica  were  suppressed;  four  pillars,  situated  at 
the  angles  of  a vast  square,  whose  sides  were 
lengthened  externally  into  four  shorter  and  equal 


* Hope’s  Historical  Essay,  chap,  ix. 


VOL.  I. 


E 


50 


naves,  were  made  to  support,  and  to  be  connected 
by,  four  arches,  the  spandrils  between  which,  as 
they  rose,  converged  so  as  towards  the  summit  of 
the  arches  to  compose  with  these  a circle ; and  this 
circle  carried  a cupola,  which — (not  made,  like  that 
of  the  Pantheon  at  Rome,  or  that  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  at  Jerusalem,  to  be  supported  by  a 
cylinder  intervening  between  it  and  the  ground, 
but  lifted  high  in  air  over  four  prodigious  yawning 
gaps) — was  for  the  purpose  of  combining  as  much 
of  lightness  and  cohesion  as  possible  with  its  great 
expanse,  constructed  of  cylindrical  jars,  fitting  into 
each  other.  Conchs,  or  semi-cupolas,  closing  over 
the  arches  which  supported  the  centre  dome, 
crowned  the  four  naves  or  branches  of  the  cross : 
of  these  the  one  that  presented  the  principal  en- 
trance was  preceded  by  a porch  or  narthex ; that 
opposite  formed  the  sanctuary;  while  the  two 
lateral  members  were  divided  in  their  height  by  an 
intermediate  gallery  for  the  reception  of  the  female 
congregation ; and  these  sometimes  again  sprouted 
out  into  lesser  absides,  crowned  with  semi-domes, 
or  chapels  surmounted  by  small  cupolas.  And  as 
long  straight  rows  of  round-headed  windows  had 
been  introduced  into  the  parallel  walls  that  sup- 
ported the  ceilings  of  the  naves  and  absides  of  the 


51 


Roman  basilicas,  so  circles  and  semicircles  of 
similar  windows  made  their  appearance  in  the 
bases  of  the  cupolas  and  semi-cupolas  that  crowned 
the  centre,  the  transepts,  and  the  smaller  rami- 
fications of  the  Grecian  churches.”*  Here  we 
evidently  see  the  type  of  the  later  Italian  dome  in 
all  its  magnificence,  and  it  is  free  from  the  in- 
consistencies of  the  style,  which  the  architect 
rejected,  not  on  the  score  of  taste,  but  from  the 
“ wish  of  giving  to  the  architecture  of  Christianity 
a form  wholly  different  from  that  of  paganism.” 
The  churches  of  the  eleventh  and  preceding 
centuries  in  Italy,  Germany,  and  the  south  of 
France,  seem  to  derive  their  character  from  both 
these  early  classes  of  buildings.  The  long  nave, 
the  aisles,  and  the  eastern  apse,  they  owe  to  the 
former ; the  domical  lantern,  and  the  western  and 
transverse  apsides,  which  frequently  appear,  are 
borrowed  from  the  latter,  though  not  without 
considerable  alterations.  The  details  partake  of 
the  nature  of  both,  namely,  of  the  elaborate  clas- 
sical ornaments  which  were  found  in  the  one  case 
ready  for  use,  and  the  clumsy  imitations  which  the 
Byzantine  architect  was  obliged  to  substitute  in 


* Hope’s  Historical  Essay,  chap.  xii.  p.  110  (1840). 


52 


the  other.  But,  in  addition,  the  principle  of  the 
vertical  line  was  gradually  working  its  way  into 
the  system;  in  some  parts  so  rapidly  as  to  make 
the  Romanesque  a transition  into  the  Gothic,  as 
is  our  Norman;  and  in  other  places  so  slowly 
and  covertly  as  to  leave  it  the  character  of  an 
independent  style,  struggling  for  a peculiar  per- 
fection of  its  own. 

I will  now  notice  a few  instances  of  continental 
Romanesque  that  fell  within  my  observation,  and 
leave  the  reader  to  judge  how  near  they  approach 
to  purity. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Roman  antiquities 
the  later  buildings  appear  to  partake  much  of  their 
character,  whether  from  imitation,  or  from  the 
actual  use  of  old  fragments.  The  cathedral  of 
St.  Trophimus  at  Arles  offers  an  example.  The 
upper  stage  of  the  central  tower  has  pilasters  sup- 
porting a horizontal  tablet;  in  the  cloisters  also 
are  low  Corinthian  pilasters  of  some  depth, 
standing  out  as  buttresses ; they  are  fluted,  and 
have  a square  abacus,  but  carry  neither  entabla- 
ture nor  arch.  The  roof  of  these  cloisters*  is 
cylindrical ; the  shafts  are  doubled  transversely  to 

* I speak  of  the  Romanesque  part : two  sides  of  these  clois- 
ters are  early  pointed. 


53 


the  arcade,  and  the  capitals  much  varied  with 
sculpture ; some  of  them  are  of  great  elegance. 
The  arches  are  round.  The  western  door  of  this 
cathedral  is  very  remarkable,  and  in  its  mouldings 
is  not  altogether  unlike  our  late  Norman;  it  dif- 
fers, however,  in  having  a transom  under  its  arch, 
supported  in  the  middle  by  a shaft  with  a Co- 
rinthian capital,  on  which  it  rests  horizontally. 
A rich  band,  which  may  be  called  an  entablature, 
forms  the  lower  part  of  this  transom,  and  is  con- 
tinued to  the  sides  of  the  porch  in  which  the  door 
is  placed,  resting  in  the  same  manner  upon  shafts. 
The  whole  abounds  in  fine  sculpture.  It  is  sup- 
posed to  belong  to  the  twelfth  century. 

The  ruined  church  of  St.  Honorat  in  Arles  has 


54 


a beautiful  octagonal  central  lantern  of  two  stories, 
with  a round-headed  arch  in  each  face  of  both, 
and  pilasters  at  the  angles.  The  writer  of  a local 
work*  ingeniously  suggests  that  this  arrangement 
may  have  been  derived  from  the  neighbouring 
amphitheatre. 

The  cathedral  at  Avignon  has  likewise  a cen- 
tral octagon,  with  fluted  Corinthian  columns  at 
the  angles.  Although  the  internal  arches  which 
support  this  are  pointed,  it  seems  to  be  of  great 
antiquity.  The  western  porch  has  a Roman  arch 
in  the  front,  and  Corinthian  columns  at  the  cor- 
ners. Above  is  a pediment  of  a rather  higher 
pitch  than  usual  in  classical  buildings;  the  tym- 
panum has  a circular  opening.  This  porch  is  said 
to  be  the  remains  of  a temple  dedicated  to  Her- 
cules. The  cathedral  is  Romanesque,  with  re- 
vived Italian  additions  of  very  early  date : in  some 
parts  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  between  the  two. 
The  square  western  tower  is  in  the  cinque  cento , 
and  of  excellent  elevation. 

At  Montmajor,  near  Arles,  the  cloisters  have 
a segmental  arch,  including  three  smaller  arches 
upon  shafts. 


Etudes  sur  Arles 


55 


The  chapel  of  St.  Croix  * at  Montmajor  is  a 
very  curious  little  edifice.  It  has  four  equal  semi- 
circular apsides,  branching  from  a square  tower ; 
to  that  on  the  western  side  is  attached  a porch, 
and  each  apse  has  two  buttresses  of  a single  slope. 
The  very  few  windows  by  which  it  is  lighted  are 
small  and  round-headed.  The  corners  of  the 
tower  have  re-entering  angles,  but  without  shafts ; 
each  of  its  four  faces  has  a pediment  (of  not  a 
very  high  pitch)  resting  on  a string;  on  the  top 
is  a cupola  with  plain  round  arches,  which  looks 
like  an  Italian  addition : the  whole,  however,  may 
possibly  be  of  one  date.  The  roofing  is  entirely 
of  stone ; and  that  of  the  porch  has  a serrated 
ridge.  A bold  and  rich  cornice  runs  along  the 
eaves;  the  apsides  have  semi-domical  vaulting. 
This  pleasing  little  specimen  appears  to  belong  to 
the  eleventh  or  twelfth  century : an  inscription 
which  has  been  found  in  it,  attributing  its  erection 
to  Charlemagne,  is  supposed  to  have  been  forged 
by  the  monks  of  Montmajor  in  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury, for  the  purpose  of  proving  their  abbey  to  be 
a royal  foundation. f 

* A cut  of  this  will  be  given  as  the  frontispiece  of  the  second 
volume. 

f Ktudes  sur  Arles. 


56 


Aix  in  Provence.  — The  south  aisle  of  the 
cathedral,  originally  the  nave  of  a smaller  church, 
is  a fair  specimen  of  Romanesque.  Its  west  door 


! I 


has  two  Corinthian  columns — probably  antique — - 
engaged  in  the  wall,  each  supporting  a small  por- 
tion of  entablature,  and  a cornice  which  runs  en- 
tirely across.  Under  this  is  a semicircular  arch, 
with  something  of  a classical  architrave,  resting 
on  small  Corinthian  columns,  one  of  them  fluted, 
the  other  spirally  grooved ; these  stand  in  re-enter- 
ing angles,  and  have  a square  abacus  and  entabla- 
ture. A plain  transom  makes  the  head  of  the 
doorway  horizontal.  The  interior  of  the  church 


* 


57 


has  round  arches  of  two  orders,  with  rectangular 
imposts.  Small  shafts,  resting  on  similar  imposts, 
occur  under  the  vaulting-arches : of  these  latter, 
which  are  pointed,  we  will  speak  hereafter.  An 
octagonal  dome  occupies  the  centre,  which  is 
not  lighted,  and  makes  no  shew  on  the  outside. 
Adjoining  this  aisle  is  a baptistery,  with  antique 
columns  of  granite  and  marble,  arranged  in  a 
circle,  and  connected  by  round  arches. 

In  the  foregoing  instances  the  deviation  from 
a pure  Romanesque  has  been  rather  towards  the 
classical  than  the  Gothic.  In  the  next  we  con- 
sider, namely,  the  cathedral  of  Valence,  upon  the 
Rhone,  an  older  church  probably  than  any  yet 
named,  the  Gothic  principle  shews  itself,  though 
not  very  prominently.  The  columns  engaged  in 
the  piers  are  of  great  height  compared  with  their 
diameter:  if  it  were  not  for  this,  we  could  not 
possibly  find  a purer  model  for  an  interior.  The 
piers  of  the  nave  are  rectangular,  and  have  on  the 
front  a shaft  with  a delicate  Corinthian  capital  and 
square  abacus,  supporting  a plain  vaulting  - arch ; 
and  on  the  side  is  a similar  shaft,  of  less  height, 
sustaining  the  inferior  order  of  the  pier -arch.* 


* A very  accurate  representation  of  two  piers,  with  the  in- 


58 


The  archivolts  are  plain.  The  roof  of  the  nave 
is  cylindrical;  and  there  is  neither  triforium  nor 
clerestory.  The  compartment  over  the  crossing 

termediate  arch,  in  the  nave  of  Valence  Cathedral,  will  be  found  in 
the  fifth  plate  of  Professor  Willis’s  “ Remarks  on  the  Architecture 
of  the  Middle  Ages”  (1835). 


59 


has  a domical  vault ; the  apse  semi-domical.  The 
latter  has  an  aisle ; but  if  arches  ever  opened  into 
it,  they  are  now  stopped  up.  On  the  outer  wall 
of  the  nave,  above  the  aisle  roof,  runs  a course  of 
small  arches,  alternately  round  and  straight-sided, 
like  those  we  find  at  Barton  in  Lincolnshire ; their 
shafts  are  truncated  cones.  These  I take  to  be 
mere  fancies  of  the  builder,  no  way  tending  to  the 
formation  or  development  of  a style : whether 
they  be  marks  of  antiquity,  as  denoting  a period 
when  the  architect  was  less  closely  bound  to  the 
observance  of  certain  general  rules,  is  another 
question.  These  flat-sided  arches  occur  also  in 
the  old  church  of  Lorsch  in  Germany.*  The  west 
end  of  Valence  Cathedral  had  a tower,  which  was 
destroyed  by  lightning  some  years  ago.  I have 
not  seen  any  print  of  it;  but  its  removal  gives, 
roughly  indeed,  a design  for  a good  and  simple 
Romanesque  front  — such  as  may  possibly  have 
existed  before  the  tower  was  built.  A light  belfry 
occupies  the  angle  formed  by  the  north  transept 
and  the  aisle  of  the  nave ; and  the  intersection  is 
crowned  by  a very  low  square  tower.  The  east 
end  exhibits  some  remarkable  buttresses,  which 


* Moller’s  Denkmahler. 


60 


consist  of  Corinthian  shafts  and  capitals,  with  a 
slope  resting  on  the  latter.  The  faces  of  the 
transepts  do  not  materially  differ  from  the  Nor- 
man : it  is  on  viewing  the  inside  of  the  church, 
that  we  are  struck  with  its  distinct  character  from 
any  of  our  own  edifices  belonging  to  the  eleventh 
and  twelfth  century. 

We  now  come  to  a church  that  perhaps  ap- 
proaches nearest  of  any  to  a pure  Romanesque, — 
that  of  Ainay  at  Lyons.  Part  of  this  is  considered 
to  be  of  high  antiquity  — as  early  as  the  time  of 
Charlemagne ; and  though  some  modern  additions 
have  been  made,  they  do  not  seem  to  have  inter- 
fered much  with  the  original  building.  The  piers 
of  the  nave  are  Corinthian  columns  of  low  pro- 
portion, and  having  the  capitals,  which  are  not 
very  elaborately  carved,  somewhat  flattened,  and 
finished  with  a square  abacus.  The  arch  is  semi- 
circular, of  a single  order,  with  plain  archivolt. 
The  columns  supporting  the  square  central  lan- 
tern, though  not  higher  than  the  others,  are 
thicker,  the  four  being  made  of  two  columns  which 
belonged  to  an  ancient  temple ; these  are  of 
granite.  As  the  vaulting  of  the  nave  is  cylindrical, 
and  its  spring  is  considerably  above  the  crown  of 
the  pier -arches,  a space  of  wall  remains  between 


61 


the  transverse  arch  of  the  lantern  and  the  roof; 
this  is  pierced  with  a double  arch.  The  east  end 
is  apsidal.  The  roof  of  the  aisles  is  cylindrical, 
slightly  broken  by  the  windows.  The  central 
tower  has  a fine  massive  appearance  externally ; 
each  side  has  two  pairs  of  round-headed  arches. 


62 


with  shafts  doubled  in  the  direction  of  the  thick- 
ness of  the  wall.  An  engaged  western  tower  rises 
higher  than  the  central  one,  but  is  less  massive ; it 
has  also  round-headed  windows,  and  is  finished 
with  a heavy  quadrangular  pyramid  of  stone. 
The  western  door  is  pointed,  but  has  not  a Gothic 
character. 

We  will  not  at  present  notice  the  numerous 
village  churches  which  occur  on  the  route  north- 
ward, though  many  of  them,  from  their  extreme 
simplicity,  almost  present  the  character  we  desire. 
Our  next  object  is  the  abbey-church  of  Tournus 
on  the  Saone.  This  has  a large  and  lofty  central 
tower,  with  Corinthian  pilasters  at  the  angles ; and 
the  ornaments  between  and  about  its  windows 
would  almost  lead  us  to  suppose  it  had  been  re- 
paired in  cinque  cento . I am  not,  however,  aware 
that  we  need  assign  it  a later  date  than  that  of  the 
rest  of  the  building — the  eleventh  or  twelfth  cen- 
tury. A portion  of  the  nave  to  the  westward  is 
separated  by  a screen  above,  and  piers  and  arches 
below,  which  bear  a vaulting,  so  as  to  form  a kind 
of  internal  porch.  The  piers  of  the  nave  are 
massive  and  cylindrical,  with  shafts  of  consider- 
able diameter  supporting  cross  arches.  The  roof 
is  a series  of  transverse  cylindrical  compartments. 


63 


There  is  no  triforium ; and  the  clerestory  windows 
are  small.  The  apse,  which  is  semicircular,  has 
an  aisle,  whence  diverge  several  chapels  with  flat 
fronts  and  gables ; and  underneath  is  a crypt. 
There  is  a north-western  tower  nearly  as  high 
as  the  central  one,  but  lighter,  and  of  a more 
Norman  character.  The  west  front  and  outside 
of  the  nave  are  extremely  plain.  It  is  likely 
that  conventual  buildings  either  surrounded  the 
church  very  closely,  or  were  actually  connected 
with  it. 

A small  desecrated  church  at  Tournus  affords 
a good  specimen  of  an  early  Romanesque  door. 


64 


It  forms  a shallow  porch,  having  a gable  of  the 
same  pitch  with  that  of  the  front.  It  will  be 
observed  how  much  better  this  treatment  suits  a 
front  of  the  shape  here  given  than  any  Gothic  or 
Norman  arrangement  could  have  done. 

The  inside  of  Beaune  Church  is  of  a very 
singular  character,  as  many  of  its  pilasters  are 
fluted,  and  run  up  to  the  string  above  the  arches. 
The  church  has  a triforium  and  clerestory;  the 
fine  central  tower  belongs  rather  to  the  Transition 
than  Romanesque.  Some  handsome  Corinthian 
pillars  appear  in  the  apse,  which  support  pointed 
arches.  The  apsidal  aisle  has  radiating  semi- 
circular chapels.  The  appearance  of  cinque  cento , 
which  prevails  in  the  Romanesque  of  both  this  and 
the  abbey-church  of  Tournus,  ought  to  be  noticed. 

As  we  advance  northward,  the  larger  buildings 
of  this  date  are  of  a decidedly  Norman  character. 

We  will  now  return  to  the  coasts  of  the  Medi- 
terranean. Between  Nice  and  Genoa  may  be 
noticed  the  old  church  of  Monaco,  much  disguised 
and  modernised  externally,  but  retaining  its  ancient 
character  within.  Here  we  are  struck  with  the 
lightness  of  the  piers,  which  are  simple  columns, 
supporting  the  vaulting  shafts  on  large  spreading 
capitals ; and  also  with  the  great  width  of  the 


65 


pier-arch.*  There  is  no  central  tower.  A small 
belfry,  apparently  of  later  date,  is  attached  to  the 
north  transept. 

Ventimiglia  has  a parallel  triapsal  church,  with 
aisles  and  a central  octagon,  but  no  transepts. 
This,  like  others,  has  been  so  modernised  in  its 
interior,  that  it  is  impossible,  except  by  very  minute 
examination,  to  distinguish  the  original  features ; 
but  the  manner  in  which  the  whole  harmonises 
together  shews  the  Romanesque  to  have  had  a 
classical  character.  The  vaulting  is  cylindrical ; 
and  a few  rectangular  windows  form  the  clerestory. 
The  western  door  is  pointed;  but  can  hardly  be 
called  Gothic.  A rich  steeple  of  revived  Italian, 
standing  on  a base  of  an  earlier  date,  is  now 
engaged  in  an  additional  aisle : it  was  probably 
attached  externally  to  the  north  aisle  of  the 
original  building. 

Another  church  in  the  same  town  has  Roman- 
esque features  of  rather  an  Italian  character.  The 
vaulting  arches  are  pointed;  and  there  are  no 
transverse  or  lateral  cells.  This  church  has  a 
crypt. 

* Professor  Willis,  in  the  ninth  chapter  of  his  “ Remarks 
on  the  Architecture  of  the  Middle  Ages,”  notices  the  wide  span 
of  the  pier-arches  in  Italian  Gothic. 


VOL.  I. 


F 


66 


The  church  of  Alassio  is  of  revived  Italian, 


with  a dome  standing  on  a square  base.  But  the 
annexed  belfry-tower,  whatever  may  be  its  date,  is 
clearly  a good  specimen  of  Romanesque,  and  is  of 
a form  frequently  repeated  along  this  interesting 
coast.  It  consists  of  several  stages,  each  of  which 
has,  or  had,  a couplet  of  round-headed  windows 
under  a large  semicircle : a small  corbel-table,  or 
some  kind  of  indented  string,  marks  the  divisions. 
This  tower  is  of  loftier  proportions  than  we  com- 


67 


monly  find  in  the  Norman  structures  of  Eng- 
land. 

The  reader  must  form  his  own  judgment  on 
the  date  of  a ruin  which  occupies  a rocky  point 
near  Oneglia,  on  the  same  route.  The  dome 
seems  to  have  been  supported  by  pointed  arches, 
but  has  also  had  the  Italian  segmental  windows ; 
while  the  belfry  attached  to  it  is  Romanesque  in 
detail.  As  the  church  does  not  stand  east  and 
west,  it  is  probably  not  older  than  the  revival. 

A small  church  near  Cogoleto  (the  reputed 


birth-place  of  Columbus)  is  in  the  form  of  a cross, 
with  a low  central  tower,  gabled  to  the  east  and 
west,  and  having  a circular  turret  attached  to  its 
western  wall,  which  seems  supported  by  the  vault 


68 


of  the  nave,  but  makes  no  shew  in  the  inside. 
The  arches  of  the  church  are  round ; the  vaultings 
somewhat  domical.  The  masonry  throughout  is 
exceedingly  massive ; and  the  workmanship  rude. 
Segmental  arches  of  considerable  width  appear  in 
the  walls.  The  west  end  is  in  ruins,  but  retains  a 
pointed  door. 

There  are  several  Romanesque  buildings  at 
Genoa,  but  few  of  them  are  of  any  magnitude. 
The  annexed  sketch  gives  one  of  many  steeples  of 
the  same  character,  some  of  which  have  round 
belfry -windows,  others  slightly  pointed;  their 
general  features  are  similar  to  those  already  no- 
ticed, and  display  no  tendency  to  break  into  more 
Gothic  forms.  The  pointed  doorway  makes  its 
appearance  when  all  else,  even  to  the  vaulting- 
arches,  is  round.  The  contrary  is  the  case  in 
England;  our  own  round-headed  Norman  door  is 
generally  found  among  the  last  remnants  of  the 
style.  There  is,  indeed,  in  the  cathedral  at  Genoa 
a rich  porch  with  a semicircular  arch : this  is  in 
the  Transition  style,  dating  probably  with  our  first 
early  English. 

S.  Stefano  has  a central  octagon  without 
transepts;  attached  to  the  north  side  of  this  oc- 
tagon is  a square  tower  with  narrow  and  slightly 


69 


pointed  windows.  It  is  impossible  to  obtain  a 
satisfactory  view  of  the  church,  beyond  its  mere 
west  front,  which,  like  many  others,  is  striped 
horizontally  with  black  and  white,  and  has  a 
pointed  door.  This  church  contains  the  cele- 
brated picture  of  St.  Stephen’s  martyrdom. 

S.  Cosmo,  which  also  has  a central  octagon, 
stands  in  a court  just  sufficiently  large  to  hold  it : 
hence  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  make  a sketch  of 
it.  The  same  is  nearly  the  case  with  another 
church  having  a higher  central  octagon  of  several 
stages. 


Tortona,  on  the  road  between  Genoa  and 
Pavia,  has  a Romanesque  church  with  heavier 
piers  than  those  at  Monaco ; they  have  columns 
engaged  in  their  sides,  supporting  the  inner  order 
of  the  pier-arches.  The  compartments  of  the  roof 
are  nearly  square,  and  exhibit  the  Roman  vaulting ; 


70 


the  pier-arches  being  about  as  wide  as  the  nave. 
The  diagonal  edges  are  strongly  marked  by  ribs, 
the  section  of  which  is  rectangular;  these  occur 
in  most  of  the  Lombard  Romanesque  churches 
that  I have  seen.  There  is  a triforium,  consisting 
of  large  undivided  arches  ; but  no  clerestory.  The 
west  front  has  doors  not  unlike  our  Norman,  and 
a plain  circular  window.  In  this  front  the  aisles 
are  not  bounded  by  a continuation  of  the  central 
gable,  as  is  the  case  with  many  old  churches  in 
this  district;  but  their  slopes  are  distinct,  as  in 
our  own  churches.  A small  belfry  is  attached  to 
the  south  side. 

Pavia  contains  several  very  interesting  Roman- 
esque edifices,  and  perhaps  offers  the  best  exam- 
ples of  the  style  as  it  appears  in  Lombardy.  S. 
Michele  is  said  to  date  from  the  ninth  century. 
The  north  transept,  which  seems  unchanged, 
shews  much  that  is  similar  to  our  Norman  — as 
the  door,  windows,  and  corner- buttresses ; but  it 
is  remarkable,  as  well  as  other  Lombard  buildings, 
for  a feature  we  do  not  find,  at  least  so  decidedly 
marked,  even  in  Normandy  and  England,  where 
in  other  respects  the  principle  of  the  vertical  line 
is  so  much  more  fully  developed, — I mean  the  tall 
upright  shafts  dividing  the  front;  and  which  in 


71 


the  west  end  are  still  more  striking  and  of  greater 
richness.  The  intersection  is  occupied  by  a low 
octagon  on  a square  base ; its  diagonal  faces  are 
not  equal  in  breadth  to  its  cardinal  ones.  The 
lower  part  of  the  belfry -turret  is  old;  the  upper 
part  seems  to  be  a later  addition.  In  the  interior 


72 


we  notice  lofty  and  slender  shafts  engaged  in  the 
wall  of  the  transept.  The  piers  of  the  nave  have 
round  columns  engaged  in  their  front,  on  the 
capitals  of  which  rest  flat  pilasters  bearing  the 
vaulting -arches.  The  capitals  throughout  have 

very  little  projection,  and  are,  in  fact,  no  more 
than  bands  of  rude  sculpture  round  the  head  of 
the  shaft  or  pier.  The  nave  has  cross -vaulting, 
with  ribs;  a triforium;  but  no  clerestory.  The 
transepts  have  a cylindrical  roof ; the  eastern 
apse  is  semicircular,  with  domical  vaulting.  The 
external  gables  rise  higher  than  the  roofs,  so  as 
to  mask  their  real  pitch ; that  of  the  west  front 
comprises  the  aisles,  and  is  rich  in  barbarous 
sculpture,  but  heavy  and  unpleasing  from  its  shape 
and  the  small  size  of  its  windows.  A circular  west 
window,  and  one  in  the  south  transept,  are  later 
insertions. 

S.  Pietro,  a desecrated  church,  appears  to  be 
much  of  the  same  character,  with  a similar  west 
front,  a central  octagon,  but  no  belfry. 

S.  Teodoro  has  a central  octagon,  finished  with 
an  elegant  cupola  on  open  arches  and  shafts,  which 
seems  original.  Some  pointed  arches  and  other 
alterations  occur  in  the  nave ; and  the  west  front 
has  not  the  continuous  gable  embracing  the  aisles. 


73 


The  belfry -tower  is  of  revived  Italian,  but  har- 
monises well  with  the  rest. 

In  the  older  part  of  the  cathedral,  now  in 
course  of  demolition,  is  a door  much  resembling 
the  Norman,  but  of  more  lofty  proportions. 

Near  Pavia  is  the  church  of  S.  Lanfranco,  of 
which  the  nave,  transepts,  central  octagon,  and 
belfry -tower,  are  Romanesque.  The  west  front 
has  arches  under  the  gable,  which  are  made  to 
follow  its  slope  by  means  of  steps ; as  is  also  the 
case  in  some  of  the  churches  I have  already 
named.  Below  are  three  circular  windows  and  a 
door.  The  highest  ornament  of  the  gable  itself  is 
a corbel-table  of  intersecting  arches.  The  front  is 
divided  by  tall  shafts  into  three  parts;  and  the 
projecting  buttresses  of  its  extremities  follow,  at 
the  top,  the  slope  of  the  gable.  The  nave,  which 
appears  to  have  had  side-aisles  — now  destroyed 
— is  covered  with  cross  vaulting;  the  transepts, 
with  cylindrical.  The  chancel  and  small  polygonal 
apse  are  of  the  revival,  but  in  perfect  harmony 
with  the  older  parts.  The  tower,  which  occupies 
the  angle  between  the  north  transept  and  chancel, 
is  divided  vertically  by  pilaster -strips,  which  at 
equal  intervals  support  a shallow  corbel-table  of 
round  arches ; the  upper  stage  has  a triplet  of 


74 


round-headed  windows,  which  are  of  the  same 
height,  and  divided  by  shafts.  This  edifice,  like 
many  others  of  the  same  style  in  Lombardy,  is  of 
red  brick. 

The  first  plate  in  Mr.  Hope’s  “ Historical 
Essay  on  Architecture”  gives  an  accurate  view  of 
the  west  front  of  S.  Ambrogio  at  Milan,  taken 
from  within  the  cortile  or  cloister.  To  the  spec- 
tator standing  in  this  area,  scarce  any  architectural 
feature  is  presented  which  he  cannot  refer  to  a 
date  at  least  as  early  as  the  ninth  century.  The 
front  is  much  the  same  in  its  elevation  and  the 
pitch  of  its  gable  with  those  in  Pavia ; but  its 
composition  in  other  respects  is  very  different,  and 
extremely  beautiful.  At  Pavia  the  front  is  inter- 
spersed with  a number  of  small  arches  and  arcades ; 
that  before  us  has  five  bold  arches,  decreasing  in 
height  from  the  centre,  which  fill  the  upper  stage, 
including  the  pediment  of  the  gable  ; while  an 
equal  number,  of  which  the  extreme  ones  open 
into  the  cloister,  compose  the  lower.  To  increase 
the  effect,  these  arches  form  a projecting  screen 
to  the  building.  Vertical  shafts,  corbel-tables,  and 
other  appropriate  ornaments,  give  the  whole  a 
sufficient  richness.  This  front  is  flanked  by  two 
lofty  towers ; the  most  perfect  of  which  nearly 


75 


answers  to  the  description  already  given  of  that  at 
S.  Lanfranco.  Although  the  church  has  no  tran- 
septs, it  has  a central  octagon  and  semicircular 
apse ; the  side-aisles  are  carried  as  far  as  the  east 
wall  of  the  former.  The  interior  is  much  like 
that  of  S.  Michele.  There  are  other  Roman- 
esque churches  in  the  town,  among  which  S.  Sim- 
pliciano  deserves  attention. 

On  the  whole,  the  few  old  Lombard  buildings 
that  I had  an  opportunity  of  noticing  seemed  to 
approach  nearer  to  our  Norman  than  many  struc- 
tures of  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries  in  the 
south  of  France ; and  the  works  of  a succeeding 
age,  that  we  find  in  Genoa,  Pavia,  and  Milan,  and, 
I suppose,  in  the  rest  of  Italy,  after  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  pointed  arch,  present  more  of  classical 
character  than  these  Romanesque  examples. 

On  the  lake  of  Geneva,  about  four  miles  to  the 
west  of  Lausanne,  stands  the  small  church  of  St. 
Sulpice,  which  we  must  not  pass  by  without  notice. 
The  nave  has  been  destroyed,  and  appears  to  have 
had  no  side -aisles.  There  is  a north  and  south 
transept,  and  three  eastern  apsides.  The  interior 
presents  a dome  at  the  intersection,  which  is  not 
lighted.  The  arches  are  of  the  plainest  character ; 
and  the  archivolts,  as  well  as  imposts,  which  are 


76 


WoiOPER 


without  capitals,  are  flat.  The  windows  are  plain 
and  round-headed;  the  vaulting  of  the  transepts 
is  cylindrical;  that  of  the  apsides  semidomical. 
The  exterior  of  the  middle  apse  has  pilaster-strips. 


77 


the  interval  of  which  is  occupied  by  two  small 
arches  in  the  wall,  forming  a kind  of  corbel-table. 
So  far  we  find  but  little  in  common  with  either 
the  classical  or  the  Norman.  But  there  is  a 


square  tower  over  the  intersection,  that  has  regular 
Norman  belfry  - windows,  the  shafts  being  con- 
tinued round  the  architraves  in  the  shape  of 
mouldings.  This  tower  must  have  been  a later 
addition  : its  Norman  features,  however,  shew  that 
an  early  tendency  towards  Gothic  prevailed  in  that 
part  of  Switzerland. 


78 


But  it  is  in  Rhenish  Germany  that  the  Roman- 
esque assumes  the  most  decided  and  individual 
character.  In  the  south  of  France  we  meet  with 
detached  instances*  widely  differing  from  each 
other*  and  often  unmarked  by  any  characteristic 
feature.  In  Lombardy  we  find  some  local  pecu- 
liarities* but  not  of  sufficient  value  to  constitute 
the  leading  distinctions  of  a style.  But  in  this 
part  of  Germany  we  see  a class  of  buildings  having 
a certain  link  of  connexion  with  each  other*  and 
differing*  in  their  general  description*  from  any 
to  be  found  elsewhere.  The  Transition  style*  so 
carefully  defined  by  Professor  Whewell*  is  interest- 
ing* not  only  as  a step  to  the  succeeding  Gothic* 
but  as  a sequel  to  the  preceding  Romanesque. 
The  reluctance  with  which  German  architects 
evidently  quitted  the  older  style*  was  not  owing  to 
any  slowness  of  comprehension  in  regard  to  the 
beauties  and  principles  of  that  which  was  beginning 
to  dawn;  for  the  Germans*  in  fact,  rather  outran 
than  fell  short  of  other  nations  in  completing  it  — 
witness  Oppenheim*  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
advanced  buildings  of  the  age ; — but  it  was  the  re- 
sult of  a feeling  that  they  were  in  possession  of  a 
style  which*  though  it  were  as  yet  imperfect*  still 
admitted  of  perfection ; and  was  valuable*  not  as 


79 


a step  to  something  beyond,,  but  on  the  score  of 
its  intrinsic  merits  and  excellence. 

In  the  churches  of  The  Apostles,  St.  Cunibert, 
St.  Mary  Capitoline,  and  St.  Martin,  at  Cologne, 
we  meet  with  a simplicity  of  design,  and  a classical 
correctness  of  proportion,  which  is  not  often 
equalled.  Our  own  buildings  of  the  same  date 
have,  it  is  true,  much  grandeur;  but  still  their 
interiors  exhibit  a certain  degree  of  heaviness,  in 
consequence  of  many  of  their  component  parts 
being  adapted  to  a lighter  and  more  elegant  style : 
some  principle  of  beauty  seems,  in  fact,  to  have 
been  suggested,  and  not  fully  developed.  Now, 
in  these  Rhenish  churches  the  eye  is  perfectly 
satisfied ; there  is  nothing  clumsy  or  ungraceful  in 
the  supporting  masses,  which  are  suited  to  the 
weights  they  have  to  sustain ; and  the  general 
height  of  the  impost  seems  calculated  to  give  the 
best  possible  effect  to  the  fine  sweep  of  the  vault- 
ing arch ; the  vertical  and  horizontal  lines,  though 
well  marked,  are  not  forced  upon  the  eye; — in 
short,  as  in  the  Roman  example  with  which  we 
commenced  this  chapter,  the  arch,  in  its  most 
simple  and  beautiful  form,  predominates.  The 
transverse  triapsal  plan  of  St.  Martin’s  and  the 
Apostles’  Church  adds  much  to  their  elegance ; 


80 


the  latter,  indeed,  might  be  taken  as  a perfect 
model,  wherever  an  edifice  of  considerable  width 
and  moderate  height  is  required. 

These,  it  may  be  observed,  are  not  to  be 
looked  upon  as  rude  relics  of  antiquity,  but  as 
rich  and  finished  structures,  among  the  latest  of 
their  style,  * built  at  a period  when  the  Gothic 
was  beginning  to  assume  its  own  proper  charac- 
ter, and,  for  the  most  part,  but  a short  time  before 
it  attained  its  highest  perfection  in  the  very 
town  where  they  exist.  And  they  are  the  purest 
Romanesque  buildings  to  be  found ; the  most  dis- 
tinct, both  from  the  Italian  with  Grecian  lines,  and 
from  the  Norman  with  Gothic.  They  cannot  be 
confounded,  although  they  might  harmonise,  with 
either. 

Some  features  which  mark  the  German  Transi- 
tion are  in  themselves  by  no  means  of  a transition 
character, — that  is,  calculated  to  advance  the  couh 
pletion  of  Gothic, — but  rather  improvements  and 
refinements  on  the  Romanesque.  I may  instance 
the  fan-window,  and  even  the  foliated  circle.  The 
former  occurs  at  Bonn  and  Sinzig,  the  latter  at 

* A little  Guide-book  that  I met  with  at  Cologne  notices  the 
western  transept  of  the  Apostles’  Church,  as  a specimen  of  the 
round- arched  style  belonging  to  the  thirteenth  century. 


81 


St.  Cunibert’s;  and  though  they  may  have  sug- 
gested foliation  to  succeeding  architects,  yet  they 
seem  intended  rather  as  a variety  of  the  Roman- 
esque window,  which  had  hitherto  been  plain  and 
without  ornament ; a variety  consistent  with  the 
style,  and  well  fitted  to  increase  the  richness, 
of  its  larger  and  more  costly  buildings.  The 
banded  doorway  may  also  be  noticed:  this,  it  is 
true,  is  mostly  pointed;  but  a fine  round-headed 
one  occurs  in  St.  George’s  at  Cologne.  Whether 


these  are  really  improvements,  and  to  be  imitated 
as  such  in  adopting  the  style,  need  not  now  be 
discussed : they  clearly  were  meant  to  be  so ; and 


VOL.  i. 


G 


82 


shewed  a disposition  to  preserve  and  complete, 
rather  than  to  abandon,  the  Romanesque. 

The  outline  of  Rhenish  churches  of  this  class 
is  strikingly  varied.  The  towers  are  often  ar- 
ranged in  two  groups,  one  at  or  near  each  end. 
The  Apostles’  Church  has  a tall  western  tower ; 
to  the  east  of  this  is  a transept,  beyond  which 
is  the  nave  with  its  aisles,  which  are  bounded  by 
the  transverse  apsides;  a fine  octagon  occupies 
the  intersection,  and  two  lofty  octagonal  turrets 
stand  in  the  eastern  re-entering  angles,  free  of  the 
central  lantern.  At  Laach,  a large  square  tower, 
supported  by  transepts  terminating  in  massive 
and  lofty  round  turrets,  forms  the  west  front ; the 
eastern  cross  has  an  octagon  with  two  square  tur- 
rets, placed  as  in  the  Apostles’  Church ; each  end 
has  an  apse;  and  to  the  westward  is  a cortile 
or  cloister,  as  at  St.  Ambrogio.  St.  Castor  at 
Coblenz,  Andernach,  and  Arnstein  on  the  Lahn, 
have  two  western  and  two  eastern  towers ; but  are 
without  central  lanterns.  Worms  has,  at  the  west 
end,  an  octagonal  lantern,  to  the  northern  and 
southern  faces  of  which  lofty  round  turrets  are 
annexed ; at  the  intersection  of  the  eastern  tran- 
septs is  an  octagon,  and  the  east  end,  which  is  flat 


/ 


83 


WORMS. 

externally,  is  flanked  also  by  round  turrets ; the 
west  end  has  a polygonal  apse.  Mainz  has  a 
western  group,  consisting  of  a high  octagonal 
steeple  and  two  slender  turrets  ; and  an  eastern 
group,  of  an  elegant  lantern  with  a round  turret  — 
as  at  Laach  — at  the  end  of  each  transept : much 
of  this  is  finished  in  a later  style.  Spire  has 
an  octagon  at  the  intersection,  and  lofty  square 
towers  at  the  eastern  re-entering  angles  of  the 
transepts ; the  west  end  is  badly  modernised. 
When  the  central  lantern  is  octagonal,  the  turrets 
in  the  above  position  stand  free ; but  in  St.  Mar- 
tin’s at  Cologne  the  tower  is  square,  and  conse- 


84 


WHIMPER. 

SPIRE. 


quently  these  turrets  are  engaged  in  its  angles. 
The  German  octagon  is  usually  equilateral,  and 
rises  at  once  from  the  roof,  no  square  base  ap- 
pearing beneath  it  as  in  Lombardy.  Nothing  can 
exceed  the  beauty  of  the  apsidal  gallery,  or  row 
of  open  arches  on  shafts  directly  under  the  cor- 
nice, especially  in  triapsal  churches. 


85 


As  a specimen  of  a front,  I may  describe  the 
east  end  of  Bonn  Cathedral,  which,  while  the  rest 


of  the  building  belongs  to  the  transition,  is  purely 
Romanesque,  and  gives  a good  idea  of  the  graceful 
beauty  which  can  be  attained  in  this  style. 

In  the  centre  is  a semicircular  apse,  without 
aisles ; its  upper  compartment,  surmounted  by  a 


86 


rich  cornice,  is  occupied  by  the  usual  gallery  of 
semicircular  arches,  on  slender  shafts  with  capi- 
tals. The  next  compartment  below  contains  seven 
arches,  on  well -shaped  columns  engaged  in  the 
wall;  in  these  are  the  windows.  Beneath  is  a 
string,  resting  upon  the  capitals  of  engaged  co- 
lumns, corresponding  with  the  upper  range  ; be- 
tween them  are  blank  arches.  The  lowest  com- 
partment of  all  has  some  openings  into  a crypt. 
Above  the  roof  of  the  apse  is  a gable,  of  nearly  a 
right  angle,  ornamented  with  arches  decreasing  in 
height  from  the  central  one  ; and  the  whole  is 
flanked  by  lofty  towers,  tapering  in  stages,  and 
also,  if  my  eye  did  not  deceive  me,  in  the  actual 
lines  of  their  masonry.  The  lower  stages  corre- 
spond in  ornament  with  those  of  the  apse;  the 
upper  ones  have  various  combinations  of  the  arch 
and  corbel.  In  one  stage  we  see  three  windows 
under  two  arches ; in  another  two  arches  above  a 
single  one,  which  again  comprises  three  windows : 
all  the  arches  are  semicircular.  These  eastern 
towers  are  crowned  with  wooden  spires,  and  form 
a fine  combination  with  the  tall  central  steeple. 
No  church  upon  the  Rhine  exceeds  this  in  the 
beauty  of  its  proportions. 

The  church  of  Schwarz  Rheindorf,  near  Bonn, 


87 


on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  has  a strong 
claim  on  our  attention.  The  structure,  in  fact, 
contains  two  churches,  an  upper  and  a lower  one ; 
for  the  latter,  though  not  at  present  used  for  pur- 
poses of  worship,  is  far  too  lofty  to  be  considered 
as  a mere  crypt.  The  walls  of  this  are  of  im- 
mense thickness,  sufficient  to  bear  not  only  those 
of  the  upper  church,  which  are  of  necessity  some- 
what massive,  but  also  a roomy  external  gallery, 
which  forms  a passage  round  the  whole.  The 
lower  compartment  is  of  pure  Romanesque,  the 
arches  of  the  roof  springing  from  flat  pilasters; 
and  an  arcade  of  three  unequal  arches  on  slender 
shafts  runs  across.  The  upper  part  is  approached 
by  a flight  of  steps  leading  into  the  gallery;  and 
its  interior  might  almost  be  taken  for  Italian.  All 
the  arches  are  round,  and  the  capitals  of  many  of 
the  shafts  are  exquisitely  carved ; a fine  square 
tower  stands  over  the  intersection  of  the  cross, 
and  the  eastern  apse  is  semicircular. 

The  interior  of  Laach  Abbey  has  also  a very 
Italian  character.  Here  the  lateral  cells  of  the 
vaulting  are  much  narrower  than  the  longitudinal ; 
and  the  transverse  arches  are  decidedly  elliptical. 

Altenahr  Church  has  a low  square  central 
tower ; and  exhibits,  on  the  whole,  the  proportions 


88 


and  appearance  of  an  English  church.  The  Ger- 
man Romanesque  is,  however,  sufficiently  decided, 
though  without  ornament.  The  apse  is  finished 
in  the  complete  Gothic,  but  retains  a round- 
headed  doorway  in  the  extreme  east  end. 


MITTELHEIM. 

Mittelheim  in  the  Rheingau  has  a church  of 
much  the  same  outline  and  character,  with  fewer 
additions  of  a different  date.  The  interior  is  very 
plain ; and  the  nave  has  a flat  wooden  roof. 

Schwarzach,  between  Baden  and  Strasburg, 
has  a church  very  similar  to  the  last. 

The  Abbey  of  Eberbach,  in  the  Rheingau,  has 


89 


Roman  vaulting  over  square  compartments,  each 
comprising  two  pier- arches.  As  at  Laach,  there 
is  no  triforium.  Both  the  design  and  proportions 
should  be  attentively  studied,  on  account  of  the 
simplicity  of  the  building.  The  east  end  is  flat. 
There  is  no  tower ; a small  wooden  belfry  marking 
the  intersection  of  the  body  and  transepts. 

The  interior  of  Mainz  Cathedral  is  less  pleasing 
than  that  of  either  Worms  or  Spire,  on  account  of 
the  height  of  its  pier -arches.  At  Worms  there 
is  much  pure  Romanesque,  notwithstanding  the 
pointed  vaulting  arches.  The  vaulting  shafts  at 
Spire  are  peculiar,  being  divided  by  a band  into 
two  stages  of  different  thickness.  The  enormous 
span  of  the  roof,  and  the  use  of  the  round  arch 
without  mixture,  make  this  interior  very  imposing. 
Under  the  choir  are  some  crypts,  of  admirable 
workmanship. 

To  avoid  vaulting  - shafts  of  a greater  height 
than  was  deemed  consistent  with  beauty,  shorter 
ones  were  often  supported  by  brackets,  or  by  the 
capitals  of  the  piers  below,  or  by  the  horizontal 
string  over  the  pier-arches;  or  the  arches  them- 
selves were  made  to  rest  on  corbels  projecting 
from  the  walk 

Might  not  a style  be  matured  upon  the  sugges- 


90 


tions  thrown  out  to  us  by  these  old  buildings  of 
Italy,  France,  and  Germany? — a style  admitting 
of  great  simplicity  in  point  of  workmanship,  and 
at  the  same  time  capable  of  the  most  varied  and 
beautiful  combinations;  that  could  be  grounded 
and  advanced  upon  clear  and  definite  rules,  and 
freed  from  every  sort  of  inconsistency ; that  would 
harmonise  with  our  modern  domestic  buildings, 
and  yet  be  sufficiently  distinct  from  them  to  mark 
the  high  purpose  to  which  the  fabric  is  dedicated  ? 
Might  it  not  enable  us  to  adopt  with  advantage 
forms  of  great  convenience,  but  ill  suited  either 
to  Italian  or  Gothic  ? The  front  of  S.  Ambrogio 
teaches  us  how  a particular  kind  of  elevation  may 
be  treated,  which  in  the  hands  of  modern  archi- 
tects has  always  bid  defiance  to  grace  and  beauty. 
We  have  an  ample  range  from  which  we  may 
collect  the  necessary  elements:  the  Roman,  the 
Romanesque,  the  Norman,  and  the  Gothic  of 
Italy,  will  all  contribute  their  share.  From  some 
examples,  as  Valence  Cathedral,  we  might  borrow 
the  plan  and  detail,  making  a few  changes  in  pro- 
portion ; of  others,  as  the  Cologne  churches,  we 
might  be  guided  by  the  entire  arrangement. 

Many  churches  of  the  revival,  at  Milan  and 
elsewhere,  exhibit  portions  that  might  be  ren- 


-4^- 


/\AA/^ 

nnAfi 

AAAA 


^7t2r  ^ c£- 


3W<)  vo-Jb^ 


’^Vot* 


G-  Qyk^ycX^ 
t ^>v 


91 


dered  available.  Porches  also  of  domestic  build- 
ings* arcades,  piazzas,  ceilings  of  rooms,  and  other 
members,  found  abundantly  in  Italian  towns  and 
villages,  — also  their  small  road-side  chapels,  — 
furnish  excellent  suggestions  for  a pure  Roman- 
esque ; in  short,  wherever  the  entablature  is  either 
dropped  altogether,  or  made  a secondary  feature, 
the  elements  of  this  style  shew  themselves.  Both 
the  early  and  late  Lombard  belfry  might  be  used 
freely ; the  latter  has  one  or  more  arches  in  the 
upper  stage,  separated  by  plain  square  pilaster 
masses,  in  which  the  spring  of  the  arch  may  or 
may  not  be  marked  by  a tablet.  The  roof  is  low, 
and  projects  a little  over  the  wall. 

A characteristic  ornament  may  be  derived  from 
a very  common  method  of  finishing  the  eaves  of 
houses  and  churches  in  the  south  of  France,  and 
probably  throughout  Italy ; curved  tiles  are  placed 
in  tiers  one  above  another,  with  considerable  pro- 
jection, forming  a series  of  small  corbel -tables. 
This  would  be  easily  executed,  is  appropriate,  and 
rich  in  effect. 

I may  further  remark,  that  many  of  the  Lom- 
bard churches,  S.  Ambrogio  among  the  number, 
are  of  red  brick,  and  not  the  less  pleasing  on  that 
account. 


92 


This  style  would  very  well  admit  the  dome, 
whether  round  or  polygonal,  as  well  as  turrets  and 
towers  of  all  shapes  and  dimensions.  The  Ger- 
man tower  has  often  a gable  over  each  of  its  faces ; 
an  octagon  of  this  description  is  always  beautiful, 
and  we  see  it  retained  in  later  styles.  The  apsi- 
dal  gallery  is  one  of  the  richest  and  most  striking 
external  ornaments.  The  arches  ought  in  gene- 
ral to  be  semicircular,  though  in  cases  of  necessity 
they  might  be  elliptical,  or  indeed  of  any  other 
shape.  Gothic  mouldings  and  Norman  details 
should  be  avoided. 

I have  ventured  merely  to  throw  out  a few 
hints  on  this  subject,  without  pretending  to  lay 
down  any  general  rules;  but  surely  it  would  be 
better  to  attempt  maturing  a style  that  might  be 
rendered  correct  and  pleasing,  than  to  continue  in 
the  imitation  of  models,  which,  though  far  from 
deficient  in  beauty,  are  yet  of  a style  manifestly 
imperfect  in  its  nature,  and  owing  its  principal 
value  to  a charm  we  cannot  impart  to  our  copies ; 
I mean,  that  of  antiquity. 


urhi*$  _ 


-ft 


BfAUht. 


. 


L'Jorr*\$  clr&L 


CHAPTER  V. 


ON  THE  LATE  ROMANESQUE,  OR  NORMAN. 

The  Romanesque  of  Germany,  the  south  of  France, 
and  Italy,  takes,  as  we  have  seen,  a position  by 
itself,  independent  both  of  the  preceding  Roman 
and  the  succeeding  Gothic,  and  frequently  rather 
harmonises  with  the  former  than  the  latter.  The 
Romanesque  of  Normandy,  and  still  more  of  Eng- 
land, is  essentially  Gothic  ; not  indeed  fully  de- 
veloped, but  quite  sufficiently  so  to  mark  its  direct 
and  inevitable  tendency.  Hence  the  transition  to 
the  completer  styles  in  these  countries  is  easy  and 
natural;  while  in  Rhenish  Germany,  and  other 
parts,  the  struggle  is  hard,  and  presents  some  very 
curious  and  interesting  combinations. 

It  is  true,  that  smaller  buildings  may  be  found 
in  Normandy,  which,  had  they  appeared  in  Ger- 
many, might  well  have  been  classed  in  the  Roman- 
esque of  that  country ; but  this  is  because  their 
simplicity  has  prevented  them  from  shewing  any 


94 


very  marked  features.  The  annexed  church,  near 
the  abbey  of  Jumieges,  might  be  German  ; and, 
again,  such  churches  as  those  of  Altenahr  and 
Mittelheim,  on  and  near  the  Rhine,  might  be 
either  English  or  Norman. 

Even  the  magnificent  abbey  of  Jumieges  itself 
has  many  features  rather  of  a German  than  a 
Norman  character,*  which  do  not  prove  a higher 
antiquity  than  that  claimed  by  buildings  of  the 
style  more  usually  found  in  Normandy,  but  simply 
that  the  architect  was  acquainted  with,  and  ap- 
proved of,  those  which  were  already  in  existence, 
or  else  at  the  time  in  progress,  throughout  Ger- 
many. And  when  we  consider  the  perfect  com- 
munication kept  up  with  each  other  by  all  the 
architects  of  Christendom,  of  which  a glance  at 
any  two  buildings  of  nearly  the  same  date,  however 
distant,  is  a sufficient  proof,  we  shall  consider  it 
a matter  of  surprise  that  local  peculiarities  have 
ever  been  retained,  instead  of  wondering  that  some 
few  instances  of  confusion  have  taken  place. 

In  the  crypts  under  many  of  our  cathedrals, 
the  simplicity,  solidity,  and  squareness  of  the  Nor- 
man work  makes  it  approach  to  the  Italian,  and 


* See  Professor  Whewell’s  Architectural  Notes,  p.  183.  (1835.) 


95 


consequently  to  the  German  Romanesque.  Nor, 
again,  is  the  lofty  shaft,  and  other  of  the  Nor- 
man distinctions,  entirely  excluded  from  Germany, 
though  her  style  would  be  purer  and  more  ex- 
cellent without  them.  It  is,  in  fact,  impossible 
to  lay  down  an  invariable  rule  for  distinguishing 
the  two  classes,  which,  as  many  contemporaneous 
buildings  exist  in  both,  must  be  to  a certain  ex- 
tent confused:  the  student  who  has  an  oppor- 
tunity of  examining  many  specimens  of  each  will 
easily  learn  to  perceive  the  difference. 

In  the  interior  of  our  larger  Norman  edifices 
the  vertical  line  often  prevails  decidedly  over  the 
horizontal.  This  is  the  case  in  the  naves  of  Peter- 
borough and  Ely,  and  the  choir  of  Romsey ; where 
the  piers  are  much  clustered ; and  the  very  want 
of  vaulting  gives  greater  height  to  those  shafts  by 
which  the  whole  side  of  the  church  is  divided  into 
tall  and  narrow  compartments. 

In  another  respect  also  classical  proportion  is 
disregarded.  Not  only  is  the  shaft  lengthened, 
but  the  columnar  pier  is  shortened  almost  inde- 
finitely. The  low  massive  pier  of  Germany  is 
rectangular,  and  therefore  only  to  be  considered 
as  a space  of  wall  intervening  between  two  arches, 
the  breadth  of  which  is  regulated  by  convenience : 


96 


but  in  Norman  architecture  the  pier  is  often  an 
actual  cylindrical  column,  with  its  base,  capital, 
and  abacus;  and  yet  not  more  than  twice  or 
thrice  ts  diameter  in  height. 

Again,  the  mouldings  of  the  architrave  more 
frequently  follow  the  lines  of  the  impost.  The 
simple  rectangular  section  of  the  Roman  arch  is 
exchanged  for  one  comprehending  all  the  re-enter- 
ing angles  and  inserted  shafts  that  are  found  be- 
low the  capital ; and  the  whole  is,  moreover,  en- 
riched with  a variety  of  ornaments.  The  great 
western  arch  of  Tewkesbury  is  a noble  specimen, 
though  comparatively  plain.  The  doors  of  Tut- 
bury,  Iffley,  Stewkeley,  and  many  others,  are  too 
well  known  to  require  a particular  description. 
Many  doors  have  the  transom,  as  Rochester ; 
many  are  without  it,  as  Tutbury.  The  west  door 
at  Stewkeley  is  divided  by  a shaft  with  two  round 
arches.  On  the  continent  a shaft  often  supports 
the  transom  without  any  arch,  as  we  have  al- 
ready noticed  in  St.  Trophimus  at  Arles;  the 
same  occurs  at  Vezelay;  and  the  arrangement  is 
common  in  the  later  styles. 

We  have  many  churches  in  this  style  of  great 
richness  and  high  finish  in  point  of  execution, 
though  but  few,  if  any,  free  from  later  additions 


97 


and  alterations.  Southwell  church,  in  Nottingham- 
shire, is  one  of  our  finest  specimens.  Its  nave, 
transepts,  and  three  towers,  are  Norman,  though  a 
perpendicular  window  is  inserted  in  the  west  front. 
If  the  pinnacles  on  these  towers  are  original,  they 
are  nearly  unique.  The  turrets  flanking  the  west 
end  of  Tewkesbury  church  are  finished  with  ele- 
gant lanterns,  which  might  be  adopted,  with  slight 
variation,  in  works  of  the  preceding  style.  The 
west  fronts  of  Iffley,  Stewkely,  and  Castle  Rising, 
are  not  much  injured  by  later  architects.  I sub- 
join that  of  Porchester,  near  Portsmouth,  which 
seems  untouched.  It  is  divided  vertically  into 


VOL.  i. 


H 


98 


three  compartments,  of  which  the  two  extreme 
ones  project,  and  are,  in  fact,  plain  wide  but- 
tresses. The  middle  part  is  occupied  by  a hand- 
some round-headed  door,  of  nearly  the  whole 
width ; above  which  is  a triplet  of  round  arches 
on  shafts ; the  central  one,  the  highest  and  widest 
of  the  three,  comprising  a window.  These  two 
stages  reach  to  a height  about  equal  to  the 
breadth  of  the  front ; the  pediment  of  the  gable, 
which  extends  over  the  whole,  is  nearly  a right 
angle,  and  without  ornament.*  The  elevation  and 
proportion  of  this  front,  small  as  it  is,  are  very 
pleasing.  The  church  has  a low  central  tower 
without  parapet. 

The  apse  occasionally  occurs  in  England,  as  in 
Peterborough  cathedral,  and  some  small  churches ; 
but  it  is  not  so  frequent  as  in  Normandy,  and 
there  it  is  by  no  means  universal.  The  charac- 
teristics of  the  Norman,  as  it  appears  in  England, 
are  so  completely  described  by  Mr.  Rickman,  and 
must  be  so  familiar  to  every  one  who  takes  an 
interest  in  the  subject  before  us,  that  I need  not 
enter  into  their  details. 

* There  is  a small  narrow  round-headed  opening  in  the  gable, 
which  has  been  accidentally  omitted  in  the  sketch  from  which  the 
above  cut  was  taken. 


Bc.tTo'K  oi>. 


99 


What  may  be  the  extent  of  Saxon  remains  in 
England  will  probably  remain  a question  among 
antiquaries.  If  the  style  differed  essentially  from 
Norman,  it  might  be  considered  an  offset  from 
the  German  Romanesque  ; but  I am  not  aware 
of  any  thing  that  leads  us  to  suppose  it  ever 
acquired  the  purity  and  marked  character  of  the 
latter.  And  it  may  be  observed,  that  this  purity 
is  not  the  most  apparent  in  the  earliest  German 
edifices.  The  cathedrals  of  Worms  and  Spire 
are  really  more  Gothic  than  the  later  churches 
of  Laach,  St.  Martin,  St.  Cunibert,  and  the  Apos- 
tles. The  conventual  buildings  at  Ely,  which 
have  sometimes  been  cited  as  Saxon,  shew  a more 
classical  proportion  of  column  than  the  large 
Norman  cylindrical  pier;  but  such  instances  are 
too  few  and  too  uncertain  to  establish  any  theory ; 
and  the  towers  of  Barton  on  the  Humber,  and 
Earl’s  Barton,  however  valuable  as  specimens  of 
antiquity  or  objects  of  curiosity,  say  but  little  for 
the  state  of  art  at  the  time  they  were  erected. 
The  ruined  church  in  Dover  Castle  differs  in 
some  respects  from  our  usual  Norman  buildings, 
and  a little  approaches  to  the  German ; it  is, 
however,  very  rough  and  simple ; and  supposing 
it  to  be  of  a much  earlier  date  than  the  Con- 


100 


EOVEB. 


quest,  it  scarcely  exhibits  grounds  on  which  we 
can  determine  the  precise  characteristics  of  the 
Saxon  style. 

We  will  now  proceed,  where  we  left  off, 
with  the  French  Romanesque.  The  churches 
of  Tournus  and  Beaune,  between  Lyons  and 
Dijon,  we  referred  to  the  last  class,  on  account 
of  some  slightly  Italian  features  in  their  details. 


101 


Much,  however,  of  both,  especially  the  western 
tower  of  Tournus  abbey,  may  be  considered  as 
having  decidedly  a Norman  character.  But  on 
our  route  northward,  this  is  still  more  developed. 
The  next  church  of  magnitude  that  we  notice 
is  that  of  Vezelay,  near  Avallon,  on  the  road 
between  Paris  and  Dijon  or  Lyons.  In  charac- 
ter, arrangement,  and  proportion,  this  might  be 
a pure  Romanesque;  but  the  details  and  orna- 
ments are  generally  Norman.  Of  the  west  front, 
which  is  ruinous,  the  central  compartment  is 
chiefly  of  a somewhat  late  Gothic.  The  south- 
west tower  has  some  pointed  arches,  and  ap- 
proaches to  the  transition.  Part  of  the  nave, 
to  the  westward,  is  separated  from  the  rest,  form- 
ing an  atrium  or  porch,  of  its  full  height,  and 
opening  into  the  body  by  a magnificent  Norman 
door  with  a transom  and  central  shaft.  The 
nave  is  of  great  length,  and  is  covered  with  cross 
vaulting,  the  transverse  arches  being  elliptical,  as 
at  Laach.  There  is  no  triforium.  A rich  string 
runs  horizontally  above  the  pier-arches,  and  the 
shafts  are  banded.  The  piers  have  re-entering 
angles,  and  shafts  on  some  of  their  faces.  The 
doors  and  capitals  are  rich  in  sculpture ; and  the 
whole  interior,  from  its  great  length,  is  most 


102 


impressive.  A few  pointed  arches  occur  in  the 
atrium,  and  the  choir  and  transepts  are  complete 
Gothic.  Only  one  tower  stands  at  present  in  the 
west  front,  the  corresponding  one  having  been  de- 
stroyed. A tower  of  about  the  same  height  occu- 
pies the  angle  between  the  nave  and  south  transept, 
being  engaged  in  the  aisle  ; this  also  is  Norman. 

But  one  of  the  most  perfect  and  unmixed 
edifices  of  its  size,  belonging  to  this  style,  is  the 
abbey  of  St.  George  Bocherville  in  Normandy. 
The  west  end  has  a recessed  round-headed  door, 
without  much  ornament,  and  triplets  of  round 
arches  above ; the  gable  being  quite  plain.  It  is 
flanked  by  two  elegant  square  turrets  and  spires, 
which,  although  they  have  pointed  arches,  seem 
to  belong  to  so  early  a stage  of  the  Transition 
that  they  may  have  been  the  last  finish  of  the 
original  building.  The  vaulting  of  the  nave,  lan- 
tern, and  transepts,  also  exhibits  the  pointed  arch ; 
the  rest  is  pure  Norman,  with  round  arches.  The 
interior  has  both  triforium  and  clerestory,  the  for- 
mer consisting  of  an  arcade  of  blank  arches.  The 
chevron,  embattled  fret,  and  other  ornaments  fa- 
miliar to  us,  are  used  freely.  Many  of  the  shafts 
near  the  roof  are  heavier  than  common.  In  the 
transepts  we  notice  a peculiarity  which  occurs  also 


103 


at  Caen — a sort  of  interior  porch  or  chapel,  half 
the  height  of  the  building,  vaulted,  and  supported 
by  a column  and  round  arches.*  There  is  an  apse 
on  the  east  side  of  each  transept,  and  one  at  the 
end  of  the  choir,  the  vaulting  of  which  is  semi- 
domical.  The  central  tower  is  square  and  mas- 
sive ; it  has  two  tiers  of  arches,  and  is  finished 
with  a wooden  spire : neither  the  tower,  nor  any 
of  the  walls,  has  a parapet.  This  church  is  amply 
described  and  figured  in  Mr.  Cotman’s  work  upon 
Normandy,  and  several  of  the  details  and  sculp- 
tures are  given. 

The  neighbouring  abbey  of  Jumieges  is  well 
known  to  artists  and  antiquaries.  The  combina- 
tion of  its  lofty  western  octagonal  towers  with  the 
lower  and  more  massive  square  central  one,  now 
in  ruins,  is  very  pleasing.  The  west  front  is  pe- 
culiar, having  a high  projecting  porch;  and  the 
door  exhibits  a thickness  of  shaft  not  usual  in 
this  position. 

The  two  abbeys  of  Caen  may  be  noticed,  as 
shewing  the  progress  from  the  Roman  cross  vault- 
ing, which  occupies  a square  compartment  of  the 
nave,  and  comprises  two  of  the  pier-arches,  to  the 


* A similar  arrangement  is  found  in  Winchester  Cathedral. 


104 


more  complicated  sexpartite  vaulting.  The  former 
I do  not  remember  to  have  observed  in  France ; 
but  it  occurs  in  the  Abbaye  aux  Dames,  with  this 
addition,  that  from  the  intermediate  pier  springs 
also  a transverse  round  arch,  supporting  a plain 
wall,  cutting  the  lateral  cells  in  two.  The  same 
arrangement  is  found  in  the  church  of  Yitteaux, 
between  Dijon  and  Paris.  Now  this  plainly  gives 
the  idea  of  sexpartite  vaulting.  Instead  of  the 
half  cells,  formed  by  the  dividing  wall,  let  perfect 
cells,  terminated  by  complete  arches  at  the  sides 
of  the  nave,  be  led  to  the  same  central  point, — the 
result  is  the  sexpartite  vault ; which  we  find  with 
pointed  arches  in  the  Transition,  and  with  round 
transverse  arches  and  pointed  longitudinal  ones 
in  St.  Cunibert’s  at  Cologne.  But  in  St.  Stephen’s 
at  Caen  (Abbaye  aux  Hommes),  it  appears  with 
all  the  arches  semicircular,  and  is  probably  one  of 
the  earliest  specimens  of  this  roof  in  existence. 
Both  these  churches,  it  is  well  known,  were  built 
a short  time  before  the  Conquest ; and  if  the 
pointed  arch  had  begun  to  obtain  ground  as  an 
architectural  feature  earlier  than  the  completion 
of  the  nave  of  St.  Stephen’s  abbey,  I cannot  but 
think  it  would  have  been  used  instead  of  the  other, 
on  the  score  of  convenience. 


105 


The  Abbaye  aux  Dames  has  a handsome  Nor- 
man west  front,  flanked  by  square  towers,  which 
Italianise  at  the  top ; a central  tower,  slightly 
higher  than  the  others,  has  pointed  arches.  The 
west  front  of  the  Abbaye  aux  Hommes  is  com- 
paratively plain  to  the  point  where  the  towers  rise 
above  the  walls  of  the  nave ; their  upper  part  is 
rich ; and  they  are  crowned  with  handsome  and 
lofty  spires  of  a later  style.  At  the  intersection 
of  the  transepts  is  a low  square  tower,  supporting 
a small  octagon.  The  east  end  is  apsidal,  with 
aisles : some  fine  turrets  and  spires  much  vary  the 
outline  of  this  portion  of  the  edifice. 


106 


IVHIV>FB  * 

The  desecrated  church  of  St.  Nicholas  has  a 
low  gabled  central  tower,  of  a most  picturesque 
composition,  which  is  probably  original;  the  east 
end  has  an  apse,  with  a high  stone  roof,  and  bold 
shafts.  A tower  of  greater  height  than  the  central 
one,  but  much  less  massive,  stands  on  the  south 
side  of  the  west  front : this  seems  to  be  the  only 
addition  in  a later  style.  Much  of  the  exterior 
of  this  church  differs  little  from  the  German 
Romanesque. 

The  church  of  Cheux,  near  Caen,  has  a square 
central  tower  and  wooden  spire.  The  chancel 


107 


has  three  aisles,  of  equal  height,  with  eastern 
gables ; to  the  middle  one  is  attached  a semicir- 
cular apse,  with  an  arcade  round  the  lower  part, 
under  the  windows.  The  pier-arches  of  the  nave 
are  pointed. 

Graville,  near  Havre,  has  a low  central  square 
tower,  and  the  transept  exhibits  intersecting 
arches ; a ruinous  building,  apparently  the  base  of 
another  tower,  joins  the  west  end  at  the  north 
side : the  chancel  is  Gothic. 

Montivilliers  has  a handsome  north-western 
tower  and  spire,  and  a low  massive  central  tower. 

Lery,  near  Pont  de  1’ Arche,  on  the  Seine,  has 
a very  massive  and  simple  Norman  church;  the 
east  end  is  flat;  the  tower,  which  is  central,  has 
an  arcade  of  round  arches ; the  aisles  of  the  nave, 
comprised  under  the  same  external  roof,  and 
bounded  together  with  it  by  one  large  gable,  have 
pointed  windows;  the  piers  are  columnar,  very 
low  and  massive;  and  the  vaulting  cylindrical. 

All  these  churches,  with  many  more,  are  no- 
ticed in  Mr.  Cotman’s  interesting  work. 

The  Norman  style  is  distinguished  by  a variety 
of  ornaments,  which  we  can  neither  refer  to  any 
architectural  suggestions,  nor  to  the  imitation  of 
objects  of  beauty  or  interest.  We  can  understand 


108 


the  mouldings  of  an  arch,  the  bands  round  a shaft, 
panellings,  and  foliation,  and  also  the  introduction 
of  statuary,  or  the  sculpture  of  foliage  ; but  we  do 
not  at  once  see  the  meaning  and  propriety  of  such 
ornaments  as  the  chevron,  the  embattled  or  trian- 
gular fret,  the  chain,  the  cable,  and  many  others, 
which  seem  to  have  been  used  during  a certain 
period,*  and  dropped  altogether  on  the  advance- 
ment of  the  Gothic  style.  Doubtless  the  effect 
produced  by  these  is  very  rich ; but  it  appears  a 
barbarous  kind  of  richness,  dependent  rather  on 
multiplicity  and  variety  than  any  law  of  taste. 
Probably  they  had  a symbolical  meaning  ;f  but  if 
so,  I can  hardly  look  on  them  as  fit  subjects  for 
imitation,  even  supposing  we  knew  how  to  inter- 
pret them.  They  stand  on  the  same  ground  with 
Egyptian  hieroglyphics,  which,  interesting  as  they 
are  ^s  relics,  could  not  be  adopted  with  propriety 
in  architectural  designs.  And,  as  we  have  already 

* The  character  of  these  ornaments  must  not  be  confounded 
with  the  elegant  arabesques  of  the  classical  style,  nor  with  the 
delicate  ornaments  of  the  German  Romanesque,  some  of  which 
are  figured  in  Mr.  Hope’s  work. 

f The  student  who  pursues  this  inquiry  will  peruse  with 
much  pleasure  Mr.  Lewis’s  ingenious  observations  on  Kilpeck 
Church  : his  illustrations  will  be  found  of  great  value,  from  their 
perfect  accuracy. 


109 


observed,  the  details  of  the  style,  even  in  its  most 
advanced  stage,  appear  to  fall  short  of  the  develop- 
ment of  some  idea  or  principle  that  has  evidently 
been  suggested. 

Nevertheless  its  remains  are  most  valuable  to 
the  architect.  I do  not  remember  to  have  seen  a 
single  Norman  church,  whose  general  outline  has 
been  spared  by  later  alterations,  of  which  the  ex- 
ternal proportions  might  not  be  pronounced  unex- 
ceptionable. We  do  not,  it  is  true,  meet  with  the 
astonishing  clerestories  and  steeples  of  the  com- 
plete Gothic ; nor  is  the  outline  varied  with  the 
same  multitude  of  buttresses,  pinnacles,  and  tur- 
rets ; but  the  different  portions  of  the  fabric  always 
harmonise  well  together ; the  elevations  of  the 
fronts  are  uniformly  excellent ; the  towers,  though 
mostly  low  and  massive,  are  never  without  dig- 
nity ; the  aspect  of  the  whole  is  venerable ; and 
every  part  has  an  appearance  of  firmness  and 
durability.  The  nave,  in  large  buildings,  is  usually 
of  great  length  ; and  the  transepts  are  often  nearly 
equal  to  the  choir.  Of  small  churches,  some  have 
a tower  between  the  nave  and  chancel,  others  a 
western  tower,  and  others  none  at  all ; but  in 
every  case,  both  the  elevation  of  the  gables,  and 


110 


the  relative  proportion  of  the  component  parts, 
ought  to  be  carefully  studied;  and  the  more  so, 
because  these  proportions  are  perfectly  suited  to 
the  latest  Gothic,  and  can  even  be  more  easily  and 
conveniently  preserved  in  it.  There  are  many 
churches  whose  outline,  at  a distance,  appears 
Norman,  but  which,  as  soon  as  they  are  examined, 
lose  every  trace  of  that  style.  I may  cite  as 
instances  Boughton  Aluph  and  Boughton  Mon- 
chelsea,  in  Kent. 

Should  the  architect  be  enamoured  of  the  Nor- 
man, let  him,  at  least,  shew  that  he  appreciates  its 
greatest  beauties ; and  if  he  labours  to  imitate  the 
minute  detail,  let  him  not  neglect  the  propriety  of 
design  by  which  alone  this  is  rendered  ornamental. 

The  towers  of  this  style  in  Normandy  are  often 
finished  without  a parapet,  having  either  gables, 
or  a pointed  roof  or  spire,  coming  down  to  the 
edge  with  eaves,  or  resting  on  a small  cornice. 
In  England,  most  towers,  of  whatever  date,  are 
finished  with  the  parapet,  which  is  often  embattled : 
whether  this  finish  is  ever  so  old  as  the  original 
building,  I leave  it  to  the  antiquary  to  determine. 
The  tower  of  Bradbourn  Church  in  Derbyshire,  as 
well  as  the  old  gateway  at  Bury  St.  Edmunds, 


Ill 


has  battlements  of  a very  suitable  character;  but 
in  both  cases  the  parapet  may  be  a later  addition. 
At  Sion  in  the  Valais,  the  tower  of  the  conventual 
church  has  what  would  be  a battlement,  if  it  were 
not  surmounted  by  a roof ; and  perhaps  a similar 
arrangement  may  have  obtained  in  buildings  where 
the  embattled  parapet  of  an  early  date  is  now  seen. 

Circular  windows,  divided  by  radiating  shafts, 
are  occasionally  found : Barfreston  and  Patricks- 
bourn  in  Kent  offer  examples.  Where,  however, 
such  occur  in  England,  there  is  generally  a tend- 
ency towards  the  Transition. 

If,  then,  we  look  into  the  state  of  architecture 


112 


about  the  time  of  the  Conquest,  and  to  the  end  of 
the  century  in  which  that  event  took  place,  we 
shall  perceive  that  the  style  which  flourished  in 
Normandy,  and  was  introduced  among  ourselves, 
shewed  a much  nearer  and  more  regular  approach 
to  Gothic  than  any  other  then  prevalent.  In  the 
south  of  France  the  architecture  of  the  day  was 
still  subject  to  classical  combinations ; in  the  north 
of  Italy  it  had  an  unfixed  and  somewhat  barbarous 
character ; while  in  Germany  it  was  gradually 
ripening  into  a new  and  beautiful  style,  equally 
distinct  from  the  Italian  and  the  Gothic,  and  the 
completion  of  which  was  prevented  by  the  promise 
of  superior  magnificence  and  splendour  which  the 
latter  held  out  to  the  architect. 


\ 


... 


I 


j^__  _ -i  - -Wf3* 


^>¥i#f-P 


^ f * 

Ul  3, 
vjsiii;>^i 

^:i\mfr 


rr> 


%>■  i & 2 j. 


'TJ&i 


i " ,?,5  • :4  , - , wj\ : m Smi'^iMj ' 

Jib: S’ ! !|  ifcffi)® . q^v.  •>  *-v 

„ 'U'-V  ?:•-!. 

m&L-'jF  ~r  '•; . . 

‘ * r ^ ~ 5v«i  ^ S' 


Si 

'r  & 


oC% 


yy 


CHAPTER  VI. 


ON  THE  TRANSITION  STYLE. 

Hitherto  we  have  seen  the  round  arch  pre- 
dominant: the  pointed*  indeed*  has  occasionally 
made  its  appearance ; but  in  many  cases*  as  far  as 
regards  beauty  and  harmony*  might  well  have  been 
superseded  by  the  round.  Now*  however*  the 
pointed  arch  begins  to  assert  a pre-eminence ; and 
it  is  therefore  time  we  should  inquire  into  the 
means  of  its  introduction. 

As  to  what  suggested  its  first  use  as  a matter 
of  convenience*  it  is  needless  to  speculate ; for  a 
pointed  arch  is  just  as  easy  to  construct  as  a round 
one*  perhaps  easier.  If  the  arch  itself  was  sug- 
gested by  the  mutual  support  of  two  beams  or 
slabs  of  stone*  then  the  idea  of  a pointed  arch  was 
given  sooner  than  that  of  a round  arch ; nor  is  it 
unreasonable  to  suppose  that  the  one  may  have 
been  used  as  early  as  the  other. 

But  how  it  came  to  be  an  architectural  fea- 
ture is  another  question.  Of  the  different  theories 

VOL.  i.  i 


114 


which  have  been  advanced,  none  can  be  said  to 
prove  the  manner  of  its  introduction,  though  all 
may  point  to  something  which  influenced  its  pre- 
valence. Professor  Whewell  derives  this  form 
from  the  necessity  occasioned  by  cross -vaultings 
of  a different  width.  Doubtless  this  had  consider- 
able effect;  but  in  many  buildings  which  have 
square  vaulting- compartments,  the  arches  are 
pointed,  as  at  Worms  and  Sinzig ; and  oblong 
compartments  have  round  vaulting -arches,  as  at 
Laach  and  Vezelay ; and  we  have  noticed  the 
round  cells  of  the  sexpartite  roof  at  Caen:  con- 
sequently, though  the  pointed  arch  may  have  been 
expedient,  it  was  by  no  means  absolutely  necessary. 
Its  convenience  is,  however,  shewn  by  the  frequent 
use  of  pointed  cells  in  revived  Italian  vaultings. 

We  may  suggest  another  origin,  derived  also 
from  the  roof.  In  the  south  of  France  nothing  is 
more  common  than  a barrel-vault,  that  is,  one 
without  lateral  cells,  above  which  is  a low-pitched 
external  roof  of  stone.  Now,  it  is  clear  that  the 
connexion  between  the  two  for  support  is  stronger 
and  more  easily  effected  the  nearer  their  ridges 
approach  together ; and  hence  it  is  advantageous 
that  the  internal  roof  should  be  pointed  instead  of 
round.  This  is  frequently  the  case.  The  cathedral 


115 


at  Avignon  has  a low-pitched  stone  roof ; the  bar- 
rel-vault beneath  it,  as  well  as  the  transverse 
arches  supporting  the  central  octagon,  are  very 
considerably  pointed.  This  octagon  is  of  a clas- 
sical Romanesque,  and  said  to  be  of  an  early  date ; 
its  windows,  and  the  other  arches  of  the  church, 
are  round-headed.  The  cut  of  St.  Honorat  in 
Arles,  given  in  a preceding  page,  shews  a similar 


i-IX,  PROVENCE. 


116 


disposition.  Here,  too,  the  roof  is  of  stone.  The 
wall,  terminating  the  part  of  the  nave  which  is 
left,  shews  the  pointed  vault  of  both  nave  and 
aisles ; and  the  central  octagon,  as  at  Avignon,  is 
Romanesque,  with  round  arches,  and  some  clas- 
sical features.  At  Aix  in  Provence  we  see  the 
same  arrangement ; the  vaulting  arch  being  pointed, 
while  the  others,  including  those  under  the  octa- 
gon, which  are  considerably  lower  than  the  roof, 
are  round.  At  a Romanesque  church  in  Mar- 
seilles, the  outer  roof  appeared  to  me  to  coincide 
with  the  inner,  and,  consequently,  to  follow  the 
line  of  the  pointed  vault.  But  these  peculiarities 
being  local,  and  found  where  the  other  Gothic 
principles  but  slowly  developed  themselves,  can 
hardly  be  looked  upon  as  having  introduced  the 
general  use  of  the  pointed  arch,  though  we  may 
possibly  be  indebted  to  them  for  some  of  the  ear- 
liest specimens  we  know. 

Expedience  may  have  also  suggested  this  form 
in  another  way.  Where  a certain  space  was  to 
be  occupied  by  an  opening  formed  by  the  actual 
arch  and  the  rectangle  between  the  piers,  both 
strength  and  gracefulness  might  be  acquired  by 
varying  the  shape  of  the  former,  so  as  to  give 
it  greater  height  in  comparison  with  the  latter. 


117 


Much  beauty  depends  on  the  relation  observed 
between  these  respective  areas.  In  the  interior 
of  Mainz  cathedral,  the  first  thing  that  struck 
me  was  the  ungraceful  proportion  of  the  pier- 
arches;  two  of  which  being  comprised  under  one 
vaulting  compartment,  and  moreover  having  lofty 
and  massive  piers,  are  consequently  tall  and  nar- 
row, and  of  an  elevation  far  better  adapted  to 
the  pointed  than  the  round  arch.  In  Malmsbury 
abbey,  a building  of  the  Norman  style,  the  pier- 
arches  are  pointed ; and  if  we  compare  them  with 
those  at  Tewkesbury,  which  are  round,  and  spring 
from  high  massive  cylindrical  columns,  not  very 
distant  from  each  other,  we  shall  easily  perceive 
the  advantage  of  the  former  arrangement.  To  a 
similar  cause  we  may  ascribe  the  pointed  doors 
which  prevail  in  the  Romanesque  of  Lombardy 
and  southern  France.  The  round-headed  doors  of 
S.  Michele  and  other  churches  in  Pavia,  which  are 
much  higher  than  our  Norman  ones,  might  have 
been  considered  ungraceful  in  their  proportions, 
while  the  architect  was  not  willing  to  dispense 
with  height,  nor  able,  without  spoiling  the  whole 
front,  to  obtain  greater  width  : the  resource  was  a 
pointed  arch. 

The  Norman  arcade  of  intersecting  arches,  to 


118 


which  some  writers  have  traced  the  origin  of 
Gothic,  may  possibly  have  suggested  that  a form 
which  was  often  found  expedient  in  the  larger 
members  was  also  graceful  and  appropriate  in 
the  smaller  and  ornamental  ones  : to  this  extent, 
but  no  further,  the  theory  may  be  of  value. 

We  may  add,  that  even  the  appearances  of 
pointed  arches  which  result  from  perspective  may 
have  had  some  influence,  and  led  the  artist  to 
suppose  that  what  pleased  him  as  an  optical 
illusion,  would  not  be  without  beauty  when  re- 
duced to  reality. 

And  though  we  cannot  look  to  groves,  or  arti- 
ficial structures  of  twigs  and  branches,  as  giving 
an  origin  to  the  style,  they  may  have  furnished 
ideas  during  its  progress : the  architect  observed 
and  was  pleased  with  the  resemblance  as  it  grew 
upon  him ; and  to  this  we  may  owe  the  intricate 
tracery  of  our  windows,  and  the  minute  ramifi- 
cations of  our  fan-vaultings. 

The  truth  is,  the  pointed  arch  was  found  out 
to  be,  simply  because  it  was,  the  fittest  for  the 
style  now  expanding  into  perfection  ; it  had  been 
gradually  familiarised  to  the  eye,  and  thus,  as  the 
other  members  of  the  system  became  ready  for 
its  reception,  it  assumed  its  proper  place,  where 


119 


it  asserted  and  steadily  maintained  its  sovereignty 
without  an  effort. 

As  might  be  expected.  Gothic  architecture  ad- 
vanced to  its  completion  by  degrees,  and  during 
its  advancement  many  interesting  local  peculiari- 
ties are  to  be  observed.  In  Italy,  where  it  never 
came  to  perfection,  the  style  seems,  even  after  the 
introduction  of  the  pointed  arch,  to  have  a tend- 
ency towards  the  classical.  I will  notice  the  few 
churches  of  this  character  that  I had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  visiting. 

Near  Nice  is  a monastery,  the  church  of  which 
has  pointed  vaulting  arches,  the  compartments 
being  square,  with  large  diagonal  ribs.  The 
mouldings,  however,  have  not  a Gothic  character  ; 
and  had  the  arches  been  round,  the  whole  might 
have  been  pronounced  Romanesque,  or  revived 
Italian.  Much  of  the  church  is  Italianised. 

The  cathedral  at  Genoa  has  a west  front,  not 
unlike  the  early  English  in  character,  abounding 
in  shafts,  some  of  which  are  twisted,  and  with 
round  as  well  as  pointed  arches  introduced ; on 
the  south  side  of  this  front  is  a handsome  tower. 
The  nave  has  cylindrical  columns  of  nearly  clas- 
sical proportions,  with  Corinthian  capitals  and 
the  square  abacus ; they  support  a pointed  arch  ; 


120 


above  is  a triforium  of  round  arches,  open  to 
the  aisles;  the  clerestory  and  cylindrical  vault, 
as  well  as  a low  central  dome,  choir,  and  tran- 
septs, are  Italian.  There  is  a western  screen  in 
the  interior;  a similar  one  prevails  in  German 
churches.  The  pillars  throughout  are  of  marble ; 
and  the  whole  has  a rich  effect.  A handsome 
porch  with  a round -arched  door  stands  on  the 
north  side ; the  west  front  is  striped  horizon- 
tally with  black  and  white  marble.  Some  other 
churches  in  Genoa  may  also  be  referred  to  the 
same  style. 

S.  Pantaleone,*  at  Pavia,  is  a large  and  hand- 
some brick  building,  in  the  form  of  a cross;  the 
nave  being  of  great  length,  and  the  chancel  and 
transepts  about  equal  to  each  other.  There  is 
no  dome  or  lantern  at  the  intersection,  but  a 
very  lofty  tower  and  spire  in  the  angle  between 
the  chancel  and  north  transept.  The  west  front 
has  a wide  gable,  comprising  the  aisles,  as  in  the 
Romanesque  churches ; this,  though  exhibiting 
considerable  richness  and  delicacy  of  workman- 
ship, is  by  no  means  a pleasing  composition.  It 
has  a large  central  circular  window,  and  pointed 
windows  with  mullions,  arranged  at  different 


* Or  S.  M.  del  Carmine. 


121 


heights;  the  doors  also  have  the  pointed  arch. 
The  divisions  of  the  nave  and  aisles,  as  well  as 
the  extremities,  are  adorned  with  pinnacles.  The 
ends  of  the  chancel  and  transepts,  which  are  flat, 
with  obtuse  gables,  are  of  much  better  composi- 
tion, having  two  lofty  pointed  windows  of  a single 
light  each,  with  foliated  heads,  and  surmounted 
by  a large  circular  one,— the  three  stand  at  some 
distance  from  each  other.  The  belfry-window 
has  three  lights,  with  geometrical  tracery.  The 
piers  of  the  nave  are  massive  and  cylindrical, 
and  being  of  dark  brick,  add  to  the  gloomy  and 
solemn  effect  of  the  interior,  which  is  very  spar- 
ingly lighted.  The  pier -arches  are  pointed,  as 
are  those  of  the  roof.  The  vaulting  compart- 
ments are  square,  comprising  two  pier-arches.  In 
the  centre  of  the  arch  formed  by  each  transverse 
cell,  directly  over  the  intermediate  pier,  is  a very 
small  foliated  circle,  pierced  as  a window;  these 
form  the  whole  clerestory.  The  cross  ribs  of  the 
vault  are  rather  thin ; but  altogether  this  interior 
is  exceedingly  impressive.  The  external  mould- 
ings and  ornaments  round  the  windows,  which 
are  in  terra-cotta,  are  most  elaborate  and  beau- 
tiful. This  edifice  probably  belongs  to  the  four- 
teenth century. 


122 


Another  church  in  Pavia,  not  quite  so  large  as 
the  former,  has  nearly  the  same  characteristics. 

S.  Salvadore,  near  Pavia,  must  have  been 
built,  or  altered,  about  the  time  of  the  revival. 
The  interior  has  piers  with  Corinthian  pilasters, 
capitals,  and  entablatures.  The  pier-arches  are 
pointed,  but  without  Gothic  mouldings.  The 
cross  vaulting,  also  pointed,  occupies,  as  in  the 
church  above,  square  compartments  of  two  pier- 
arches;  and  each  lateral  cell  has  a plain  round 
window  which  forms  the  clerestory.  The  church 
is  cruciform,  and  has  a low  central  octagonal 
lantern  supported  by  Romanesque  pendentives. 
The  pointed  arch  does  not  shew  itself  on  the 
outside  of  the  church,  which  is  extremely  plain, 
but  well  proportioned,  and  exhibits  some  good 
elevations  of  fronts,  especially  the  western.  The 
door  is  a square-headed  Italian  one.  The  apse 
is  polygonal,  and  a very  peculiar  buttress  occurs, 
which  might  be  found  useful  in  the  revival  of  a 
Romanesque  style.  This  church  stands  nearly 
north  and  south. 

I will  here  describe  that  extraordinary  build- 
ing, the  Certosa*  of  Pavia,  designed  by  Gamodia, 

* About  four  miles  from  Pavia,  a short  distance  from  the 
Milan  road. 


123 


the  architect  of  Milan  cathedral,  and  begun  in 
the  year  1396.  The  west  front,  designed  by 
Fossano,  and  added  in  the  year  1473,  is  in  the 
cinque -cento  style  ; and,  though  still  unfinished, 
is  of  wonderful  richness,  both  from  the  multipli- 
city and  execution  of  its  details,  and  from  the 
variety  of  marbles  in  which  they  are  worked. 
The  nave,  transepts,  choir,  and  walls  of  the  aisles, 
are  chiefly  of  red  brick : some  of  the  details  are 
in  terra-cotta,  others  in  stone.  And  although 
of  so  late  a date,  their  style  is,  externally,  good 
Romanesque,  shewing  that  the  Gothic  had  not 
entirely  superseded  the  taste  for  the  round  arch. 
As  the  nave  has  two  aisles  of  different  heights  on 
each  side,  there  are  two  clerestory  ranges,  both 
ornamented  externally  with  an  open  arcade.  The 
upper  one,  that  of  the  nave,  is  continued  round 
the  transepts,  and  takes  the  line  of  their  gables ; 
the  lower  one  is  also  continued  round  semicircular 
apsides,  which  occupy  the  sides  and  fronts  of  the 
transepts.  These  apsides  have  a rich  Norman 
arch,  in  which,  however,  the  double  curvature 
somewhat  distorts  the  outer  mouldings.  The 
buttresses  of  the  transept,  which  are  not  unlike 
those  of  S.  Salvadore,  are  crowned  with  light 
open  pinnacles  and  spires  of  a Gothic  charac- 


124 


ter,  having  trefoil  arches.  A lofty  open  pinnacle 
also  ornaments  the  point  of  the  gable.  The  but- 
tresses of  the  side  aisles  have  pinnacles  more  in 
character  with  the  cinque  cento  of  the  front.  The 
central  octagon  tapers  in  stages,  the  lower  ones 
of  which  have  a flat  entablature  resting  on  shafts, 
and  the  diagonal  faces  throw  out  round  turrets 
with  the  same  ornament.  This  octagon  is  finished 
with  a cupola  which  has  round  Italian  arches. 
There  is  a small  and  light  belfry  over  the  south 
wall  of  the  choir ; a similar  one  occurs  at  S. 
Salvadore,  in  the  same  position. 

In  the  interior  we  are  struck  with  the  light- 
ness of  the  piers,  which  are  decidedly  Gothic, 
and,  though  of  a simple  character,  are  of  excel- 
lent composition,  and  would  suit  either  an  early 
English  or  decorated  church.  The  pier -arches 
are  round,  but  have  Gothic  mouldings,  and  are 
about  equal  in  width  to  the  nave.  A square  of 
sexpartite  vaulting  covers  each  compartment  of 
one  pier-arch ; and  each  cell  contains  a small 
foliated  square,  with  its  diagonal  placed  verti- 
cally; these,  being  pierced  as  windows,  form  the 
clerestory.  Consequently  two  small  clerestory 
windows  correspond  with  one  pier-arch ; whereas 
in  S.  Pantaleone  and  S.  Salvadore  one  window 


125 


corresponds  with  two  arches.  The  vaulting  is 
altogether  pointed,  and  the  octagon  forms  a dome 
internally. 

The  whole  of  this  church  is  in  excellent  pre- 
servation ; and  the  profusion  of  painting  and  gilding 
on  the  roofs,  and  of  marbles  and  precious  stones 
in  the  chapels  and  altars,  gives  it  a most  gorgeous 
appearance.  It  has  two  quadrangles  of  cloisters, 
one  of  them  of  great  size,  the  arches  of  which  are 
round,  and  stand  on  shafts  ; the  spandrils  being 
richly  ornamented  in  terra-cotta. 

To  a person  who  has  formed  his  taste  upon 
generally  received  rules,  this  structure  will  appear 
an  utter  barbarism ; but  if  we  acknowledge’  that 
the  rules  by  which  we  have  been  guided  are  but 
particular  applications  of  some  grand  principle, 
whereof  we  are  yet  ignorant,  we  may  look  upon 
this  and  similar  edifices  with  much  pleasure  and 
advantage,  and  confess  that  it  offers  many  beau- 
ties, though  doubtless  faults  and  incongruities 
might  be  detected.  The  adaptation  of  a Roman- 
esque exterior  to  a Gothic  interior  is  boldly  con- 
ceived and  skilfully  executed ; and  it  has  this 
advantage,  that  the  magnificence  of  the  latter 
far  surpasses  any  expectations  excited  by  the 
former.  The  general  outline,  however,  is  pleas- 


126 


ing,  and  the  appearance  of  the  building  vener- 
able. The  extreme  boldness  of  construction 
shewn  in  the  interior  surprises,  perhaps,  more 
than  it  delights  us  ; this,  however,  seems  to  be 
a characteristic  of  Italian  churches  in  general. 
The  vaulting  is  the  most  complete  and  beautiful 
specimen  of  the  kind  I have  ever  seen.* 

There  are  some  churches  in  Milan  of  pointed 
architecture,  with  much  the  same  character  as 
those  of  Pavia.  And  others  of  an  earlier  date 
may  still  more  properly  be  referred  to  a Tran- 
sition style.  The  cathedral,  being  of  complete 
Gothic,  will  be  noticed  hereafter. 

The  Italian  Gothic,  though  not  a style  to  be 
imitated  by  the  architect,  still  has  many  claims  on 
our  attention.  We  perceive  throughout  a classical 
taste,  subdued  indeed,  but  never  entirely  dormant, 
sufficient  to  resist  the  splendid  innovations  of 
Northern  architecture,  and  to  prepare  a way  for 
that  revival  of  art  which  was  destined  to  brighten 
the  middle  ages  ; we  see  also  how  little  the  mere 
use  of  Gothic  detail  goes  towards  the  formation  of 

* I was  shewn  some  very  accurate  engravings  of  the  plan, 
elevations,  sections,  and  details  of  this  interesting  edifice ; they 
are  by  an  artist  of  Milan,  and,  I presume,  could  be  obtained  in 
that  city. 


127 


a Gothic  building,  if  the  spirit  of  the  style  be  not 
preserved;  for  there  are,  in  fact,  very  few  mem- 
bers of  the  Italian  pointed  style  which  would  be 
inadmissible  in  the  best  Gothic  ; and  there  are 
many  examples  from  which  we  may  receive  in- 
struction, both  as  to  proportion  and  general  ar- 
rangement. The  gloom  of  the  interior  is  very 
impressive;  and  this  is  produced,  not  by  the  use 
of  painted  glass,  but  by  the  smallness  and  fewness 
of  the  windows.  The  arrangement  of  S.  Panta- 
leone  would  be  suitable  either  to  Romanesque  or 
Gothic ; and  gives  a magnificent  effect,  with 
scarce  a particle  of  ornament.  And  the  tall  and 
slender  belfries  which  stand  engaged  in  the  angles 
of  the  buildings,  are  surely  more  pleasing  to  the 
eye  than  those  poor  and  ill -proportioned  towers 
which  occupy  the  ends  of  our  modern  Gothic 
churches. 

We  will  now  resume  what  may  be  really  called 
the  Transition;  that  is,  the  style  through  which 
Gothic  architecture,  in  the  countries  where  it  grew 
and  flourished,  passed  to  its  completion. 

From  the  tower  of  St.  Sulpice,  on  the  Lake  of 
Geneva,  which  we  have  already  noticed,  it  appears 
that  the  Norman  form  of  the  Romanesque  found 
its  way  into  Switzerland ; and  hence  it  may  be  in- 


128 


ferred,  that  the  transition  to  Gothic  is  of  a gradual 
and  consistent  character.  Two  buildings  of  con- 
siderable size  confirm  us  in  this  supposition  — the 
cathedrals  of  Geneva  and  Lausanne.  In  both  of 
these  the  style  is  very  like  our  early  English : the 
same  combinations  occur  of  slender  and  frequently 
detached  shafts;  and  the  same  plain,  undivided 
windows,  though  less  acutely  pointed  and  less 
lofty.  At  Geneva  the  arches  are  scarcely  distin- 
guishable from  round  ones.  In  both  the  square 
abacus  prevails ; both  have  the  triforium  and  clere- 
story, the  former  of  which  is  an  arcade  on  shafts. 
The  south  transept  of  Lausanne  has  a large  cir- 
cular window,  with  tracery : this  may  be  of  a later 
date.  The  outside  of  the  cathedral  at  Geneva  is 
well  known  from  its  two  massive  unequal  towers ; 
they  form  transepts,  flanking  the  apse,  which  is 
polygonal,  and  has  flying  buttresses ; the  southern 
tower  has  windows  of  a later  style.  A wooden 
spire,  of  no  great  elegance,  marks  the  intersection ; 
it  suggests,  however,  a very  striking  combination, 
rising  as  it  does  between  the  two  heavy  towers. 
The  west  end  has  an  incongruous  modern  colon- 
nade. 

Lausanne  cathedral  has  a fine  south-western 
tower ; a central  one,  supporting  an  octagon  and 


w c 


/ 


129 


taper  spire;  two  smaller  towers,  eastward  of  the 
transepts;  and  a polygonal  apse,  with  flying  but- 
tresses. The  south-western  tower  appears  square, 
but  is,  in  fact  (in  its  upper  part),  a screen  of  open 
arches  surrounding  an  octagonal  belfry ; it  has 
handsome  pinnacles  and  a parapet,  and  is  finished 
with  a low  spire,  covered  with  tiles.  The  central 
octagon  has  in  each  face  a gable  of  small  projec- 
tion engaged  in  the  wall,  having  a triplet  of  pointed 
arches  ; the  masonry  of  the  octagon  is  lower  than 
that  of  the  west  tower;  but  its  spire,  a wooden 
one,  covered  either  with  metal  or  glazed  tile,  forms 
the  highest  point  of  the  building.  A handsome 
and  singular  porch  is  attached  to  the  south  side  of 
the  nave.  The  varied  outline  of  this  church,  and 
its  commanding  situation,  render  it,  in  every  point 
of  view,  a very  striking  object.  The  piers  of  the 
nave  are  remarkable,  from  their  variety  of  plan. 
The  square  part  of  the  lantern  is  open  to  the  in- 
terior. Some  of  the  vaulting  is  sexpartite ; but  it 
is  mostly  the  ordinary  cross-vaulting,  with  narrow 
lateral  cells.  No  foliation  or  tracery  occurs  in  the 
windows,  except  the  circular  ones,  or  wherever 
there  may  be  later  insertions.  Part  of  the  west 
front,  which  is  unfinished,  is  evidently  of  not  so 
early  a date. 

VOL.  I.  K 


130 


The  conventual  church  of  Sion  in  the  Valais, 
which  stands  on  one  of  its  remarkable  rocky  emi- 
nences, is  chiefly  of  this  character.  The  tower, 
which  occupies  the  east  end  of  the  north  aisle,  has 
Romanesque  features.  The  apse  of  this  church, 
as  we  see  it  at  present,  exhibits  battlements ; but 
I cannot  help  thinking  these  must  have  been 
covered,  like  the  tower,  with  a roof. 

The  cathedral  of  Frejus,  in  the  south  of 
France,  has  pointed  arches,  though  its  features 
are  chiefly  Romanesque.  This  is  not  a large  or 
striking  edifice.  The  steeple,  which  is  later, 
stands  over  the  entrance  on  the  south  side. 

At  Marseilles  is  a church  the  exterior  of  which 
is  very  heavy  and  unpromising,  having  the  appear- 
ance rather  of  a fort  or  magazine  than  any  thing 
else.  It  has  two  low  and  ill-shaped  towers,  both 
on  one  side  of  the  building ; and  a polygonal  apse, 
with  enormous  buttresses.  Its  interior,  however, 
is  handsome;  and  has  the  barrel-vaulting,  with  a 
pointed  ridge,  and  good  pier-arches,  also  pointed. 
The  windows  are  plain. 

At  Salon,  between  Aix  in  Provence  and  Arles, 
is  a church  principally  of  a good  complete  Gothic  ; 
but  the  tower,  which  is  engaged  in  the  south  aisle, 
has  a round-headed  door,  and  other  Romanesque 


131 


and  Transition  features;  it  is  crowned  with  a 
handsome  stone  spire. 

The  cloisters  of  St.  Trophimus  at  Arles  have 
two  sides,  which  consist  of  pointed  arches,  like 
our  early  English.  The  old  church  of  Montmajor, 
near  Arles,  is  of  this  character.  It  has  no  tower ; 
but  a belfry,  of  a curious  shape,  with  several  round 
arches,  is  attached  to  the  south  transept. 


VILLENEUVE. 

Villeneuve,  near  Avignon,  has,  attached  to  the 
tower,  a bell -gable,  with  lancet -arches.  This 

tower,  though  it  seems  to  date  with  our  decorated 


132 


buildings,  has  round  arches  in  the  belfry-window ; 
it  stands  at  the  east  end  of  the  church,  and  its 
walls  are  not  in  a direct  line  with  those  of  the 
nave. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Avignon  are  several 
country  churches  of  very  simple  construction, 
having  a nave  either  without  side -windows,  or 
with  very  small  ones ; buttresses  of  no  great  pro- 
jection; a round  or  polygonal  apse,  with  but- 
tresses; and  occasionally  a bell -gable,  either  on 
the  side-wall,  or  over  the  chancel-arch.  These,  in 
style,  if  not  in  date,  may  mostly  be  referred  to  the 
Transition. 

It  is  natural  that  the  tourist,  in  passing  through 
that  district,  should  devote  most  of  his  time  to  its 
Roman  remains,  which  he  finds  in  great  abundance 
and  perfection ; especially  if,  like  myself,  he  has  no 
opportunity  of  visiting  the  more  classic  ground  of 
Italy ; but  should  these  leave  him  any  leisure,  he 
will  discover  an  ample  fund  of  interest  in  the  works 
of  the  middle  ages ; and  although  they  will  not 
furnish  examples  of  that  magnificence  presented  to 
him  in  the  northern  parts  of  France,  yet  their  sin- 
gularity, and,  in  many  cases,  their  beauty,  will 
fully  repay  him  for  the  labour  of  his  investigations. 

The  cathedral  of  Lyons  may  be  cited  as  a fine 


<%t  .j4.ll/in. 


133 


specimen  of  early  complete  Gothic,  though  some 
parts  of  it,  perhaps,  fall  within  the  Transition.  A 
few  round  arches  occur,  of  a peculiar  character, 
not  in  the  least  approaching  to  the  Norman,  but 
rather  reminding  us  of  the  cinque  cento : such  also 
are  to  be  seen  in  the  Cathedral  of  Vienne,  on  the 
Rhone,  which  is,  on  the  whole,  of  a late  Gothic. 
The  clerestory  at  Lyons  presents  an  interesting 
series  of  windows,  giving,  in  order,  the  gradation 
from  plain  lancets  and  circles  without  foliation,  or 
even  a comprising  arch,  to  the  perfect  mullioned 
window  with  flowing  tracery.  As  there  are  several 
windows,  and  they  are  of  a large  size,  it  is  one  of 
the  best  lessons  that  can  be  set  before  the  student. 
Notwithstanding  the  general  development  of  the 
style  throughout,  the  square  abacus  prevails ; as  it 
does  also  at  St.  Nizier’s,  in  the  same  city,  a building 
of  the  latest,  indeed  of  declining.  Gothic. 

Many  small  village-churches  on  the  route  from 
Lyons  to  Dijon  shew  marks  of  Transition  rather 
than  any  thing  else,  but  are  of  so  rude  a character 
that  they  can  hardly  be  cited  as  examples.  We 
must  not,  however,  omit  the  very  curious  one  of 
St.  Albin.  The  masonry  of  this  church  is  plain 
and  rough  in  the  extreme.  All  the  arches  are 
pointed,  but  without  Gothic  mouldings ; the  piers. 


134 


if  I recollect,  are  square  pilaster  masses.  The  roof 
has  cross  - vaulting ; and  the  clerestory  windows 
are  but  just  sufficient  to  admit  light.  There  is 
no  triforium.  The  arches  are  lancet-shaped;  the 
apse  polygonal.  A well-shaped  octagon  tower,  not 
open  to  the  inside,  rises,  in  two  stages,  between 
the  nave  and  chancel.  There  are  transepts,  some- 
what higher  than  the  aisles,  but  not  projecting 
beyond  them.  A smaller  belfry,  on  a rectangular 
plan,  stands  over  the  west  end.  It  will  be  ob- 
served, as  we  advance  northward,  that  the  pitch  of 
the  roof  becomes  higher.  In  the  example  before 
us,  the  slope,  though  by  no  means  as  great  as  in 
the  northern  provinces,  is  evidently  sufficient  to 
throw  off  every  particle  of  rain  or  snow  as  it  falls ; 
nor  is  there  any  parapet  in  the  whole  building 
to  retain  it.  In  short,  it  seems  utterly  impossible 
that  this  church  should  ever  sustain  much  injury 
from  the  weather. 

Between  Lyons  and  Geneva,  on  the  French 
side  of  the  Jura  range,  is  the  town  of  Nantua, 
where  we  find  a very  picturesque  and  venerable 
old  church.  The  annexed  sketch  shews  the  west 
end  and  north  side,  as  seen  from  an  open  space  in 
front.  The  main  entrance  is  a round-headed  door, 
partaking  more  of  the  German  Romanesque  than 


135 


our  Norman ; on  one  side  is  a recess  with  a pointed 
arch,  the  other  is  blocked  up  with  houses;  over 
the  central  door  is  a circular  window.  The  small 
transept  nearest  the  west  end  has  an  Italianising 
window;  the  rest  of  the  building  is  mostly  of  a 
very  early  pointed.  The  transepts  have  a barrel- 
vault,  with  a ridge.  The  lantern,  an  octagon  of 
unequal  sides,  is  open  to  the  interior,  and  has 
for  pendentives  flat  triangular  slopes,  between  the 
angle  formed  by  the  transept  and  the  diagonal 
face  of  the  octagon.  The  pier-arches  are  pointed ; 
the  clerestory,  I think,  round-headed.  This  edi- 
fice, as  offering  a link  between  the  German  and 
French  churches  of  the  Transition,  deserves  some 
notice. 

The  church  of  Chagny,  between  Chalons  on 
the  Saone  and  Dijon,  has  a central  tower,  with  a 
belfry -story  of  round  arches,  beneath  which  are 
pointed  ones.  The  arches  of  the  inside,  as  far  as 
they  can  be  made  out  for  the  uncouthness  of  the 
masonry,  are  pointed ; and  the  building  may  safely 
be  referred  to  an  early  stage  of  the  Transition. 

The  church  at  Beaune,  already  mentioned  for 
the  peculiar  character  of  its  Romanesque,  has  a 
fine  central  tower,  of  which  the  lowest  stage  ex- 
hibits the  round,  and  the  upper  the  pointed,  arch. 


136 


The  Corinthian  columns  and  pointed  arches  of  the 
apse  are  very  beautiful.  The  clerestory,  at  the 
east  end,  is  complete  Gothic.  The  west  end  has 
a fine  porch,  or  atrium,  two  arches  deep,  the 
whole  width  of  the  building,  but  of  less  height : 
this  is  of  a more  advanced  Gothic.  In  the  same 
town  is  a small  Transition  church,  with  a stone 
spire  of  a square  section. 

At  Dijon  we  meet  with  an  admirable  specimen 
of  the  Transition  in  a very  advanced  stage  — the 
church  of  Notre  Dame.  It  has  much  the  cha- 
racter of  Lausanne  cathedral,  with  this  difference, 
that,  instead  of  the  square  abacus,  it  presents  one 
more  corresponding  with  the  form  of  the  shaft,  the 
right  angles  being  taken  off : the  workmanship, 
however,  is  rough.  The  inside  of  this  church  is 
singularly  light  and  elegant,  from  the  good  pro- 
portion of  the  round  columnar  piers,  the  slender- 
ness of  the  smaller  shafts,  and  the  number  and 
size  of  the  windows,  which  are  simply  pointed, 
without  foliation  or  tracery.  The  vaulting-shafts 
rest  on  the  capitals  of  the  piers ; the  triforium  is  a 
plain  arcade  ; and  the  vaulting  is  sexpartite.  Im- 
mense circular  windows,  unbroken  by  tracery, 
occupy  the  transept  ends ; and  the  apse,  which 
is  polygonal,  and  without  aisles,  has  two  tiers 


137 


of  lancet-windows,  with  circular  ones  interposed. 
The  west  front  is  a screen,  whose  upper  stages 
consist  of  arches  on  detached  shafts,  and  its  lower 
one  has  three  fine  doorway-arches,  opening  into 
a porch  or  atrium  of  great  beauty,  supported  by 
clustered  piers ; the  west  door  of  the  nave  is  very 
rich.  The  large  and  lofty  central  tower  has  round 
projections  at  the  angles,  which  reach  as  high  as 
the  top  of  the  lower  stage,  and  give  the  whole  a 
very  striking  outline.  The  transepts  also  have 
round  turrets,  with  spires.  All  the  arches  are 
pointed;  and  none  of  them,  except  a few  in  the 
tower,  are  subdivided  by  shafts.  The  proportions 
of  this  church  are  better  than  those  of  any  other 
in  the  town,  which  are  mostly  of  later  date  and 
character. 

At  no  great  distance  from  Dijon,  on  the  route 
to  Paris,  is  Fleury,  which  has  a neat  cross  church 
belonging  to  this  style.  The  belfry -windows  are 
pointed,  though  comprised  under  a round  arch. 
The  clerestory  consists  of  small  square  openings. 

On  the  road  from  Avallon  to  Vezelay  we  pass 
the  church  of  Pont  Auber,  which  is  a decided 
example,  and  probably  a very  early  one,  of  the 
Transition.  The  pier-arches  are  pointed ; and  the 


138 


clerestory  windows  round.  The  tower,  which 
stands  engaged  in  the  front,  has  a good  ele- 
vation; and  a small  western  porch  adds  to  its 
beauty. 

Sens  cathedral  has  much  of  this  style,  and  in 
many  respects  resembles  the  choir  of  Canterbury 
cathedral,  to  which  it  may  possibly  have  furnished 
a model. 

Notre  Dame  at  Paris  is  also  chiefly  of  this  cha- 
racter, though  in  parts  much  advanced.  The  fly- 
ing buttresses  round  the  apse  are  of  the  greatest 
boldness. 

In  Normandy  we  notice,  among  many  others, 
a large,  and  probably  an  early  specimen,  at  Li- 
sieux.  The  general  appearance  of  this  church, 
both  external  and  internal,  is  that  of  a Norman 
Romanesque  building;  but  round  arches  actually 
occur  only  in  the  south-west  tower,  the  corre- 
sponding one  having  pointed  belfry -windows  of 
very  great  height.  This  edifice  presents  an  outline 
very  common  in  Normandy, — a low  central  tower, 
and  taller  and  less  massive  western  ones,  of  which 
that  to  the  southward  is  crowned  with  a handsome 
spire ; the  apse  has  an  aisle  and  flying  buttresses ; 
the  square  abacus  prevails  throughout. 


139 


In  the  above  edifice,  as  well  as  in  the  cathe- 
drals of  Sens,  Beauvais,  and  Paris,  the  apse  is 
semicircular.  This,  I think,  denotes  an  imperfect 
development  of  the  style;  as  a Gothic  arch  can 
scarcely  be  said  to  be  perfect  while  it  exhibits  a 
double  curvature,  which  must  be  the  case  if  it  be 
placed  in  a convex  wall.  The  polygonal  apse  pre- 
vailed very  early  in  Germany,  probably  that  the 
arches  might  occupy  a flat  surface ; and  in  all  the 
complete  Gothic  buildings  near  the  Rhine,  and,  I 
suppose,  through  the  whole  country,  the  semicir- 
cular termination  is  avoided.  Though  the  archi- 
tecture of  Beauvais  cathedral  is  generally  of  a late 
character,  yet  there  are  many  proofs  that  it  is 
raised  upon  an  edifice  of  an  early  date,  whose 
ground-plan  is  preserved.  Staircase-turrets  may 
be  circular  in  any  stage  of  Gothic,  because  they 
require  merely  narrow  square-headed  slits  to  light 
them ; but  beyond  these,  all  curved  walls  seem  to 
be  avoided  in  the  advanced  styles.  Little  Maple- 
sted  church  is  an  exception,  being  a pure  and 
beautiful  specimen  of  complete  Gothic ; but  in 
this,  as  well  as  in  the  other  round  churches,  the 
architect  had  a particular  object  in  view. 

The  Transition  features  at  Louviers  will  be 


140 


best  understood  from  the  annexed  elevation  of  a 
pier-arch,  with  its  triforium  (here  open  as  a win- 
dow) and  clerestory;  the  piers  are  columnar. 

Eu  church  has  the  square  abacus  on  its  piers, 
the  round  one  in  its  triforium,  and  the  square  one 
again  in  its  clerestory.  It  is  a fine  large  church, 
with  transepts,  the  intersection  of  which  is  marked 
by  a small  wooden  belfry,  there  being  no  other 
tower.  The  elevation  of  the  west  end  is  pleasing ; 
and  the  east  end  has  some  rich  flying  buttresses 
of  late  character. 

A small  church  near  Beauvais  has  round- 
headed  arches  in  the  clerestory  and  transept,  but 


■m 

* 


riJNlMFGR 


pointed  ones  in  the  central  tower,  which  has  east 
and  west  gables,  and  a coved  roof.  Another  church 
at  Beauvais  has  plain  pointed  windows  in  the  apse, 
which  is  polygonal,  with  buttresses  of  an  early 
English  character.  The  belfry,  between  the  nave 
and  chancel,  has  round-headed  windows;  but  of 
what  date  I cannot  tell. 

In  England,  Norman  ornaments  are  often  re- 
tained when  every  thing  else  bespeaks  advance- 
ment : this  is  the  case  at  Canterbury.  St.  Cross, 
near  Winchester,  is  a very  interesting  example  of 
English  Transition  of  early  date.  Kirkstali  in 
Yorkshire,  Jedburgh  in  Scotland,  Buildwas  in 
Shropshire,  Lanthony  in  Monmouthshire,  may  be 


142 


cited  as  specimens,  in  which  both  the  round  and 
pointed  arch  appear.  The  Early  English  style, 
in  its  usual  form,  will  be  considered  in  the  next 
chapter. 

I have  not  observed  much  in  Belgium  that  can 
fairly  be  classed  in  the  Transition.  The  desecrated 
church  of  St.  Jean,  in  Brussels,  has  certainly  a 
polygonal  apse,  with  lancet-windows ; but  the  large 
window  of  the  transept,  though  without  mullions, 
is  of  a size  not  usual  in  that  style.  I believe  it, 
however,  to  belong  to  the  thirteenth  century.  St. 
Nicholas,  in  Ghent,  has  also  a large  pointed  west 
window,  unbroken  by  any  tracery;  the  turrets 
have  lancet-arches  above,  and  round  ones  below ; 
the  western  door  also  is  round-headed.  The 
church  of  St.  Croix,  Liege,  is  purely  German. 
It  has  a western  apse,  behind  which  rises  an 
octagonal  tower  with  gables.  The  body  of  the 
church  is  early  complete  Gothic,  of  the  best  de- 
scription. 

In  Rhenish  Germany  the  Transition  is,  in  fact, 
a modified  Romanesque ; and  the  traveller  from 
Cologne  to  Strasburg,  looking  at  the  exterior  of 
the  churches  presented  to  his  view,  will  scarcely 
perceive  a step  between  very  decided  Romanesque 
and  perfect  Gothic.  St.  Gereon’s  at  Cologne, 


143 


indeed,  exhibits  a Transition  character  in  its  dome, 
and  is,  in  truth,  a most  singular  specimen.  Its 
flying  buttresses  are  probably  among  the  earliest 
in  use;  and  we  may  observe,  that  the  walls,  of 
immense  thickness  where  the  vaulting  - ribs  are 
supported,  are  hollowed  out  into  chapels  between 
them,  thus  lightening  the  mass  and  enlarging  the 
interior,  while  very  strong  buttresses  are  really  left 
for  support.  The  shape  of  the  church  is  a large 
polygon,  forming  a dome  internally,  which  is  di- 
vided into  cells  by  its  vaulting-ribs;  a chancel  is 
attached,  with  two  loftier  eastern  towers  and  an 
apse ; this  part  is  more  nearly  Romanesque.  Un- 
derneath is  a fine  crypt;  there  is  also  a western 
porch  of  some  magnitude. 

In  Bonn  cathedral  the  upper  part  of  the  nave 
is  similar  to  the  Early  English,  and  the  central 
tower  has  some  pointed  arches,  comprising  round 
ones;  the  piers  have  rather  a Norman  character, 
and  support  round  arches  ; the  fan-light  appears 
in  the  aisles. 

The  ruined  choir  of  Heisterbach,  near  the 
Drachenfels,  is  somewhat  advanced,  but  not  with- 
out round  arches.  Here  we  observe  a shaft  sup- 
porting another  upon  its  own  capital,  both  standing 
free  of  any  wall. 


144 


Sinzig  scarcely  departs  from  the  Romanesque* 
though  it  exhibits  some  pointed  arches.  The  piers 
are  square  pilaster  masses*  with  round  arches ; the 
triforium*  which  here  forms  a mannerchor**  and  is 
vaulted*  as  well  as  the  aisle  below*  has  a round 
arch*  divided  by  shafts  into  smaller  ones ; the 
clerestory  has  the  fan-light;  the  vaulting  of  the 
nave*  though  pointed*  occupies  square  compart- 
ments over  the  double  pier -arch.  The  pointed 
vaulting-cells  of  the  apse  and  central  octagon  are 
the  principal  indications  of  a change;  the  former 
is  polygonal*  and*  like  the  latter*  is  finished  ex- 
ternally with  gables.  There  is  a western  screen 
in  the  interior*  of  the  same  character  with  the  rest 
of  the  church.  The  vaulting  of  the  mannerchor 
is  very  remarkable ; it  is  designated  by  Professor 
Whewell  as  tripartite.  Both  the  nave  and  tran- 
septs have  pointed  doors  ; and  some  of  the  win- 
dows run  obliquely  through  the  wall.  The  apse  is 
flanked  by  two  small  square  turrets. 

Heimersheim*  on  the  Ahr*  is  not  unlike  Sinzig 
in  form  and  character*  having  a gabled  central 
octagon,  and  two  small  eastern  turrets.  The  apse 
of  this  church  is  round. 

* An  open  gallery  occupied  by  the  male  part  of  the  congre- 
gation. 


145 


Andernach  exhibits  very  few  features  incon- 
sistent with  the  purest  Romanesque : a western 
door,  however,  is  so  far  advanced  as  to  appear  an 
insertion  of  a later  period.  The  apse  is  round; 
and  the  gables  of  the  towers,  as  well  as  those  of 
St.  Castor’s  at  Coblenz,  which  is  a decidedly  Ro- 
manesque church,  are  high-pitched. 

At  Cobern,  on  the  Moselle,  we  notice  the 
chapel  of  St.  Matthew,  a curious  hexagonal  build- 
ing, in  many  respects  similar  to  Little  Maplested 
church  in  Essex.  The  central  tower,  a hexagon,  is 
supported  by  six  sharp-pointed  arches  on  clustered 
piers,  with  flowered  capitals  and  square  abacus. 
These  piers,  however,  do  not,  as  at  Maplested, 
throw  out  arches  to  the  outer  wall ; but  the  vault 
of  the  aisle  rests  on  curved  ‘ribs  abutting  against 
the  walls  and  angles  of  the  central  hexagon,  each 
rib  forming  half  an  arch.  A semicircular  apse 
opens  into  the  body  by  a round  arch ; a round- 
headed  door  also  forms  the  entrance. 

But  the  outside  of  this  building  is  worthy  of 
attention,  as  shewing  to  how  late  a period  Ro- 
manesque features  are  retained  even  in  works  of 
a high  finish.  Not  a pointed  arch  is  seen  ; the 
trefoil  arches  appear  to  have  been  adopted  as  an 
appropriate  Romanesque  ornament,  rather  than  as 

VOL.  I.  L 


146 


having  a tendency  towards  Gothic ; and  the  round- 
headed  window  and  corbel -table  prevail.  Yet 
this  chapel  was  built  in  the  thirteenth  century; 
whereas  the  beautiful  church  of  Oppenheim,  of 
the  most  perfect  Gothic,  was  commenced  in  1262, 
and  finished  in  1317.  I was  shewn  by  my  guide 
a work  illustrated  with  very  accurate  elevations, 
sections,  and  details  of  this  remarkable  little  build- 
ing : no  doubt  it  may  be  obtained  at  Coblenz. 

Schonstatt,  near  Vallendar,  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Rhine,  a little  below  Ehrenbreitstein,  has  two 
towers  that  seem  to  have  flanked  the  apse  of  a 


147 


church,  of  which  no  part  is  now  remaining.  They 
have  round  and  trefoil  arches  ; and,  with  much 
that  is  Romanesque,  may  still  be  referred  to  the 
Transition. 

To  the  same  class,  also,  belongs  the  ruined 
church  of  St.  John,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Lahn : 
this  has  a large  western  tower,  and  a less  massive 
one  to  the  eastward ; probably  one  of  a pair 
flanking  the  chancel.  The  latter  tower  is  finished 
with  the  four  gables  so  common  in  this  part  of 
Germany. 

At  Boppart  is  a polygonal  apse  with  tall 
arches,  rather  resembling  the  Early  English,  but 
not  so  acutely  pointed;  they  have  banded  shafts. 
The  towers  have  Romanesque  details,  and  are 
surmounted  by  nearly  equilateral  pediments.  The 
rest  of  the  church  exhibits  the  same  wavering  cha- 
racter that  marks  most  of  the  Rhenish  buildings 
of  this  date. 

At  Bacharach,  the  struggle  between  the  round 
and  pointed  style  is  equally  undecided.  I noticed 
the  Early  English  toothed  ornament  on  one  of 
the  doors.  This  church  has  a handsome  western 
tower. 

The  western  octagon  and  polygonal  apse  of 
Worms  cathedral,  though  we  have  already  con- 


148 


sidered  this  as  a Romanesque  edifice,  have  quite 
an  equal  claim  with  any  of  the  above  churches  to 
be  classed  in  the  Transition.  The  circular  win- 
dows, of  several  lights,  which  are  enclosed  in  round 
arches,  will  attract  observation. 

As  we  diverge  to  some  distance  from  the  Rhine, 
the  Gothic  style  strikes  us  as  having  made  a more 
regular  progress.  The  cathedral  of  Limburg,  on 
the  Lahn,  is  a fine  instance.  The  outside  still 
retains  some  Romanesque  features ; but  the  in- 
terior has  many  in  common  with  our  best  Early 
English.  The  piers,  indeed,  are  square ; and  the 
archivolts  of  the  pier-arches,  which  are  pointed, 
are  plain  and  fiat.  The  triforium  above,  forming 
a mannerchor,  consists  of  large  arches  subdivided 
by  shafts  into  smaller  ones.  A second  triforium 
over  this  is  formed  by  an  arcade  against  the  wall ; 
and  above  is  the  clerestory  of  plain  pointed  win- 
dows. The  mannerchor  runs  without  interruption 
round  the  whole  building,  the  apse  being  furnished 
with  an  aisle.  The  vaulting  of  the  nave  is  sex- 
partite;  the  apse  is  round,  and  its  aisle  has  an 
apsidal  gallery,  in  which  a horizontal  line  rests, 
without  intervening  arches,  upon  shafts.  The  west 
end  has  two  fine  square  towers,  with  gables  and 
wooden  spires.  In  the  centre  is  a gabled  octagon. 


149 


the  masonry  of  which  is  not  so  high  as  that  of  the 
western  towers ; but  a wooden  spire,  as  at  Lau- 
sanne, forms  the  highest  part  of  the  building.  The 
north  transept  has  two  square  turrets,  also  with 
gables ; the  corresponding  ones  on  the  south  tran- 
sept are  yet  unfinished.  The  west  front  has  a 
handsome  circular  window.  This  cathedral  stands 
on  a precipitous  rock,  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Lahn  ; and  being  lofty  in  proportion  to  its  length, 
which  is  unusually  small,  has  the  appearance  of 
a vast  irregular  tower,  varied  with  turrets  and 
pinnacles. 

Seligenstadt,  on  the  Maine.  This  church,  though 
somewhat  modernised  in  parts,  still  retains  much 
of  its  old  character.  The  western  towers  and  nave 
are  Romanesque ; the  latter,  as  well  as  the  front, 
partially  Italianised.  The  octagonal  central  tower 
is  large  and  massive,  rising  well  above  the  others, 
and  finished  with  a wooden  dome.  The  arches 
and  pendentives  which  support  it  are  peculiarly 
fine : they  are  pointed,  and  have  deep  mouldings. 
The  exterior  of  the  tower  had  a fresh  and  new 
look  when  I saw  it,  but  it  may  have  been  merely 
cleaned.  The  belfry-windows,  of  complete  Gothic, 
are  large  and  well-designed.  The  apse  is  poly- 
gonal, with  round-headed  windows.  Square  pro- 


150 


jections  (they  might  be  called  towers)  occupy  the 
angles  between  the  choir  and  transepts.  The 
whole  church,  from  its  length  and  just  proportions, 
presents  a very  pleasing  outline  at  a distance. 

I had  not  an  opportunity  of  visiting  Gelnhausen 
or  Bamberg : these  seem  to  approach  nearer  to 
Complete  Gothic  than  even  Limburg. 

From  the  above  examples  it  will  be  seen,  that 
while  in  other  countries  the  Romanesque  features 
faded  gradually  away  before  the  new  style  of  archi- 
tecture, Rhenish  Germany  clung  to  them  to  the 
last,  and  abandoned  them  with  manifest  reluct- 
ance ; as  if  that  mighty  river,  that  bore  the  tide 
of  Roman  civilisation  into  the  heart  of  Europe, 
had  infused  into  the  nations  through  which  it 
flowed  a veneration  of  Roman  memorials ; with  a 
wish  to  preserve  and  perpetuate  them,  by  esta- 
blishing, according  to  the  principles  of  their  con- 
struction, a kindred  and  lasting  style  of  their  own. 


*^3 


$ CI  ? o 


r ■ ' 


p’ 


Tinl  j4t*lcr 


J 


I 


CHAPTER  VII. 


ON  THE  EARLY  COMPLETE  GOTHIC. 

Are  we  to  look  upon  the  style,  known  in  our  own 
country  as  the  Early  English,  in  the  light  of  Com- 
plete Gothic,  or  Transition  ? The  question  is  not 
wholly  unimportant;  because  it  touches  the  pro- 
priety and  good  taste  of  selecting  this  as  a style 
of  church-architecture  in  the  present  day.  That 
which  is  imperfect,  or  to  be  considered  as  a step 
to  something  more  perfect  by  which  it  is  super- 
seded, however  it  may  abound  in  beauties,  be- 
comes antiquated  and  obsolete  on  the  establish- 
ment of  the  latter ; and  although,  for  the  sake  of 
study  or  practice,  the  artist  may  occasionally  imi- 
tate it,  still  its  universal  adoption  would  both  in- 
dicate and  encourage  either  a radically  false  taste, 
or  else  a disposition  to  work  up  to  a lower  standard 
than  may  be,  and  has  been,  attained — a feeling 
which  creates  the  most  effectual  bar  against  im- 
provement. Where  two  styles  are  of  equal  excel- 
lence, the  transition  between  them  may  rival  or 


152 


even  excel  either,  and  therefore  cannot  be  objec- 
tionable as  a model ; but  this  is  not  the  case  when 
the  transition  is  from  imperfect  to  complete. 

If,  indeed,  the  complete  styles  of  Gothic  were 
suitable  only  to  the  largest  and  richest  edifices, 
and  ill  adapted  to  the  plain  and  humble  village- 
church,  then  we  must  of  necessity  be  content 
with  the  less  advanced ; but  a general  view  of 
the  churches  throughout  any  county  or  district  in 
England  will  shew  the  very  reverse  of  this  to  be 
the  fact. 

It  is  certain  that  in  a large  number  of  buildings 
our  Early  English  much  resembles  the  Transition 
style  of  Geneva,  Lausanne,  Dijon,  and  continental 
structures  of  the  same  class.  Its  main  difference 
from  that  of  the  two  former  churches  is  the  want 
of  the  square  abacus ; a difference  not  without  its 
value,  but  scarce  sufficient  to  mark  the  limit  between 
the  complete  and  imperfect;  since  in  Lyons  cathe- 
dral, a specimen  of  excellent  Gothic,  it  prevails ; 
and  in  Notre  Dame  at  Dijon,  certainly  not  more 
advanced  than  Lausanne  cathedral,  the  polygonal 
abacus  is  used.  I cannot  look  upon  Croxden 
abbey  in  Staffordshire,  and  many  similar  buildings, 
in  which  the  simple  lancet- window  prevails,  as 
aspiring  to  a higher  rank  than  that  of  Transition. 


153 


But  again ; in  Salisbury  cathedral,  the  most 
truly  beautiful  church  that  the  middle  ages  have 
produced,  the  Early  English  prevails  in  its  most 
decided  character;  indeed,  this  edifice  is  always 
cited  as  a type  and  model  of  the  style.  And  this 
cannot  be  called  a specimen  of  an  incomplete  style, 
for  there  is  scarcely  to  be  found  in  the  whole 
structure  any  portion  of  detail,  or  any  combination, 
that  admits  of  improvement.  The  Gothic  principle 
is  just  as  fully  developed  here  as  it  is  in  Cologne 
or  York.  What,  then,  is  the  difference  between 
this  and  many  other  buildings  nominally  of  the 
same  class  ? It  appears  to  be  this  : that  in  the 
one  the  plain  lancet-arch  is  used  as  a single  win- 
dow, wherever  it  may  be  wanted ; in  the  other  it 
forms  part  of  a composition,  and  can  no  more  be 
considered  without  reference  to  others  in  the  same 
front  or  compartment,  than  if  it  were  one  of  the 
lights  of  a large  mullioned  window. 

We  know  that  the  large  window,  consisting  of 
several  lights,  is  the  grand  and  distinguishing  fea- 
ture of  a Gothic  building;  there  is  nothing  ana- 
logous in  classical  edifices ; and  the  Romanesque, 
Norman,  and  Transition,  at  most  but  faintly  sug- 
gest it.  If,  however,  for  the  sake  of  diffusing 
light  more  equably  over  a large  surface — the  end, 


154 


for  instance,,  of  a transept — the  architect  chooses 
to  separate  the  lights  by  some  little  distance,  in- 
stead of  condensing  the  whole  under  one  limited 
arch,  while  at  the  same  time  he  takes  care  not  to 
vary  materially  from  the  form  which  he  is  thus  ex- 
panding,— he  still  preserves  the  principle  on  which 
this  important  feature  rests — that  of  composition  ; 
and  shews  himself  able  to  produce  by  his  com- 
binations all  the  grandeur  and  variety  of  which 
the  Gothic  style  is  capable. 

It  is  not  easy  to  believe  that  the  architect  of 
Salisbury  cathedral  was  ignorant  of  the  large  win- 
dow with  mullions  and  geometrical  tracery  which 
so  soon  became  general,  and  of  which  the  finest 
specimens  occur  in  the  chapter-house  of  the  same 
cathedral ; it  was  at  that  very  time  used  at  Amiens ; 
and  both  the  triforium  and  west  front  of  Salisbury 
shew  a perception  of  its  beauties.  The  artist  may 
have  preferred  the  lancet-arch,  as  one  which,  from 
practice,  he  was  best  able  to  manage ; but  his  com- 
binations of  it  shew  him  to  have  been  fully  alive  to 
the  principles  of  the  complete  Gothic.* 

Where  the  Early  English,  however  rich  or 
elaborate  may  be  its  workmanship,  presents  only 

* See  Professor  Whewell’s  remarks  on  Amiens  Cathedral : 
Architectural  Notes,  p,  14  L 


single  and  detached  windows,  it  cannot  be  looked 
upon  as  having  quite  attained  the  standard  of  per- 
fection ; but  when  its  combinations  suggest  the 
idea  of  windows  of  many  lights,  spread  out,  as  it 
were,  so  as  to  occupy  a larger  surface,  then  it  must 
be  considered  as  a variety,  and  a very  beautiful 
one,  of  the  complete  style. 

As  instances,  we  may  notice  the  body  of  the 
Temple  church  in  London;  the  east  end  of  Ely 
cathedral;  and  Kilkenny  cathedral,  in  which  a 
triplet  of  lancet -windows  occupies  the  west  end 
of  the  nave,  that  of  the  aisles  having  a window 


156 

divided  into  lights ; the  clerestory  consists  of  pierced 
quatrefoils.  The  east  end  of  a ruined  abbey  near 
Cashel  exhibits  a fine  triplet  of  lofty  arches.  The 
elevation  of  this  front,  with  its  buttresses,  is  very 
beautiful.  Lanercost  in  Cumberland,  though  evi- 
dently of  early  date,  has  an  east  end  that  well 
illustrates  what  we  have  remarked.  It  contains 
two  ranges  of  lancet-windows  ; the  lower  ones  are 
of  equal  height;  of  the  upper  ones,  that  in  the 
centre  is  the  highest : these  stand  at  some  distance 
apart,  so  that  the  combination  occupies  the  whole 
front.  The  west  end,  too,  has  a very  handsome 
triplet.  The  front  of  Ripon  minster  is  also  a fine 
example.  In  all  these  cases,  the  reason  why  the 
combination  of  narrow  windows  was  used,  instead 
of  one  large  compound  window,  is  obvious ; namely, 
that  the  same  quantity  of  light  may  be  diffused  in 
a manner  over  the  whole  surface,  instead  of  being 
condensed  into  one  part.  Which  arrangement  of 
the  two  is  most  pleasing,  need  not  be  discussed ; 
suffice  it  to  say,  each  has  beauties  of  its  own,  and 
the  effect  of  either,  managed  with  skill,  is  sure 
to  be  admirable. 

In  our  modern  imitations  of  Early  English,  two 
prevailing  practices  appear  to  militate  very  strongly 
against  the  above  principles : one  is,  that  of  scat- 


157 


tering  windows  over  a large  front  without  apparent 
plan  or  design,  except  so  far  as  to  preserve  uni- 
formity ; another  is,  that  of  condensing  them  in  a 
triplet  with  very  small  intervals,  leaving  a large 
blank  space  of  wall  round  the  composition.  In 
the  former  case,  some  sort  of  combination  that 
might  suggest  the  regular  expansion  of  a well- 
shaped compound  window  ought  to  have  been 
employed  ; in  the  other,  the  lancet-windows  are 
not  applied  to  the  same  purpose  that  they  were 
even  before  the  full  development  of  Gothic,  and  a 
single  window  with  mullions  would  be  far  more 
suitable.  The  occasional  use  of  a tall  window  of 
one  light  is,  of  course,  allowable,  even  in  the  most 
advanced  stage  of  the  art,  since  positions  which 
require  it  must  constantly  occur. 

In  the  present  day  the  architect  often  selects 
for  imitation  this  beautiful  style  on  account  of  its 
simplicity.  Undoubtedly  the  cathedral  at  Salis- 
bury does,  from  the  consummate  art  of  its  designer, 
suggest  the  idea  of  extreme  simplicity ; but  many 
who  admire  it  for  this  excellence  will,  when  they 
begin  to  imitate,  be  very  liable  to  fall  into  vices 
from  which  it  is  totally  free,  those  of  poverty  and 
meagreness.  The  Early  English  admits  of,  nay 
requires,  beauties  of  a very  complicated  nature ; 


158 


many  of  them,  both  as  regards  contrivance  and 
execution,  far  beyond  the  reach  of  the  builder 
who  adopts  it  as  a convenient  style  for  a plain 
village  church.  Its  clustering  and  often  detached 
shafts ; its  capitals  of  the  most  exquisite  foliage ; 
the  deep  hollows  of  its  mouldings ; its  peculiar 
toothed  ornament,  demanding  the  most  delicate 
and  elaborate  workmanship ; its  rich  bands  and 
cornices;  and,  above  all,  its  bold  and  accurately 
turned  vaultings,  mark  it  as  belonging  rather  to 
the  splendid  cathedral  or  costly  chapel,  than  to  the 
humble  parish  church.  It  is  not  because  its  orna- 
ments are  unobtrusive,  that  we  are  to  think  it 
allows  any  deficiency  of  ornament : and  it  should 
also  be  remembered,  that  the  plainer  the  work, 
the  more  necessary  it  is  to  compensate  for  such 
plainness  by  a perfect  accuracy  of  proportion, 
and  an  exact  disposition  of  every  component 
part. 

Though  our  specimens  of  architecture  answer- 
ing to  the  continental  Gothic,  and  known  in  this 
country  as  Early  Decorated,  are  not  very  nu- 
merous, yet,  from  the  predominance  of  Early  En- 
glish characteristics,  they  are  often  more  strongly 
marked,  and  better  distinguished  from  the  succeed- 
ing style,  than  elsewhere.  Among  the  best  speci- 


159 


mens  may  be  noticed  Westminster  abbey,  wherever 
it  is  unaltered;  the  chapter-house  and  cloisters 
of  Salisbury;  the  chapter-house  of  York;  the 
east  end  of  Lincoln  cathedral,  the  elevation  of 
which  is  admirable ; the  nave  of  Lichfield  cathe- 
dral ; the  abbeys  of  Tintern  and  Netley ; and 
New  abbey,  near  Dumfries,  which,  though  in 


ruins,  is  valuable,  as  giving,  probably,  the  ori- 
ginal tower — a central  one,  with  gables  over  two 
of  its  sides. 

By  examining  any  of  these,  we  may  determine 
the  following  characteristics  : — A prevalence  of 
shafts  and  prominently  convex  mouldings ; hollows 
rather  deep  than  wide,  and  often  narrower  at  the 
mouth  than  within;  a constant  use  of  capitals. 


160 


which  are  frequently  worked  with  foliage  in  the 
most  delicate  manner;  compound  windows,  with 
geometrical  tracery — that  is,  with  complete  figures 
of  trefoils,  circles,  &c.,  touching  and  supported  by 
each  other  and  the  lower  arches,  and  not  run- 
ning into  continuous  lines ; a certain  degree  of 
uniformity  in  the  shape  of  the  arches,  which  sel- 
dom differ  much  from  the  equilateral;  while  in 
the  formation  of  compound  windows,  the  inferior 
arches  are  generally  independent  of  the  larger  one 
which  comprises  them,  though  springing  from  the 
same  impost.  Vaulting  seems  essential  to  the 
style ; the  buttresses,  consequently,  are  large  and 
deep.  In  England  they  appear  in  their  full  pro- 
jection to  the  very  ground ; on  the  Continent  the 
spaces  between  are  sometimes  filled  up  with  cha- 
pels, which  by  no  means  improve  the  beauty  of 
the  building.  In  England  the  clerestory  is  seldom 
very  lofty,  and  therefore  the  flying  buttress  is  not  so 
striking  a feature  as  in  large  continental  churches, 
in  which  it  is  often  doubled.  The  pinnacles,  espe- 
cially those  which  surmount  the  aisle -buttresses, 
are  sometimes  of  great  richness  and  beauty  . The 
parapet  of  open-work,  though  admissible,  be- 
longs rather  to  the  next  style.  We  have  some 
fine  steeples  of  this  class ; the  annexed  one  of 


Co  oil 


161 


Wollaston  in  Northamptonshire  shews  how  they 
are  generally  finished.  I scarcely  know  of  any 
square  towers  (without  the  spire)  entirely  belong- 
ing to  it ; the  central  one  of  Lincoln  comes  the 
nearest. 

Many  rich  porches,  both  in  France  and  Ger- 
many, are  of  this  style,  though  they  differ  but  little 
from  those  of  the  next.  The  western  ones  of 
Amiens  cathedral  are  as  fine,  and  probably  of  as 
early  a date,  as  any  that  can  be  named.  They 
project  boldly,  and  have  gables,  and  doors  of  great 
depth  loaded  with  statuary : the  central  door  in 
many  instances  has  a richly  sculptured  transom, 
supported  by  a fine  shaft,  either  without  any 
arches,  or  with  low  and  flat  ones ; the  latter,  how- 
ever, belong  properly  to  Flamboyant  buildings. 
The  circular  windows  also  of  the  Early  Gothic  have 
sometimes  a more  advanced  character  than  the 
rest  of  the  building,  exhibiting  an  approach  to 
Flamboyant,  or  flowing  tracery. 

Part  of  Rouen  cathedral  is  of  the  Early  Com- 
plete Gothic,  though  with  many  later  additions. 
The  transepts  are  peculiarly  fine,  being  flanked  by 
square  towers,  having  each  a very  lofty  window 
divided  by  a single  shaft.  The  rose-window  be- 
tween them  is  evidently  of  a later  character.  The 

VOL.  i.  m 


162 


choir  of  St.  Ouen’s  is  a very  pure  and  beautiful 
specimen,  with  fine  flying  buttresses  and  pinna- 
cles ; the  rest  of  the  church  is  later ; and  as  that 
also  is  designed  and  worked  in  the  very  best  man- 
ner, the  spectator  is  furnished  with  an  admirable 
contrast  between  the  two  styles.  The  church  of 
Norrey,  near  Caen, — for  the  sight  of  which  I am 
indebted  to  Professor  Whewell’s  description, — is  an 
exquisite  specimen  of  Early  Complete  Gothic ; that 
is,  the  choir,  transepts,  and  square  central  tower, 
which  are  those  of  a cathedral  in  miniature,  and  of 
more  elegant  proportions  than  I remember  to  have 
seen  in  France.  The  tower  is  very  lofty ; each 
face  of  the  belfry-story  has  four  tall  lancet-arches, 
of  equal  height,  of  which  the  middle  ones  are  the 
widest,  and  pierced  for  windows.  Below  is  also  a 
range  of  arches.  On  the  tower  are  the  rudiments 
of  a stone  spire,  with  a window  and  pinnacles ; it 
is  finished  with  a small  wooden  spire.  The  choir, 
which  is  polygonal,  has  a triforium  and  clerestory ; 
to  the  north  transept  is  attached  a handsome  porch. 
Two  chapels  are  annexed  to  the  east  end,  with 
lofty  stone  roofs,  which  look  like  spires.  As  it 
was  late  in  the  evening  when  I visited  this  church, 
I could  scarcely  distinguish  the  details ; they 
seemed  to  partake  of  the  nature  of  our  Decorated 


163 


quite  as  much  as  of  Early  English.  The  nave 
is  short,  and  without  aisles,  and  lower  than  the 
choir ; its  character  is  that  of  our  Flowing  De- 
corated. 


Near  Mantes,  on  the  Seine,  is  a small  cross 
church,  the  nave  of  which  is  principally  Norman, 
but  its  chancel  and  transepts  are  of  complete 
Gothic,  and,  from  their  excellent  design  and  per- 
fect simplicity,  are  well  worth  attention,  if  not 
imitation.  The  form  and  elevation  of  the  gables 
could  not  be  improved ; and  the  windows  are 
of  great  beauty.  The  central  tower  is  Ro- 
manesque, with  east  and  west  gables ; and  the 
arches  in  it  have  rather  a German  than  Norman 


164 


character.  If  we  wished  to  adopt  this  church 
as  a model,  belfry  - windows,  with  pointed  or 
trefoiled  heads,  might  be  substituted,  without 
altering  the  character  of  the  building.  I forget 
the  name  of  the  village  ; it  stands  due  west  of 
the  town  of  Mantes,  at  the  distance  of  about  a 
mile  from  it. 

Parts  of  Notre  Dame  at  Paris  are  of  this 
style ; and  the  chapel  of  the  Palais  de  Justice  is 
a very  fine  example.  Its  side  windows  are  of 
great  height,  and,  as  is  not  uncommon,  have 
angular  canopies ; it  is  also  ornamented  with 
handsome  pinnacles. 

In  cathedrals  and  large  churches  the  piers 
round  the  apse  are  sometimes  of  necessity  placed 
very  near  together ; and  that  the  arch  may  be  of 
the  same  height  with  the  others  in  the  choir,  it 
is  often  stilted.  This  never  fails  to  give  an  un- 
pleasing appearance,  and  is  the  more  remarked 
in  consequence  of  the  great  beauty  and  excellent 
proportion  of  every  other  part  of  the  building. 
In  the  apse  at  Amiens  it  is  very  striking.  The 
effect  is  in  some  measure  avoided  at  Auxerre, 
which  has  on  this  account,  perhaps,  the  most 
pleasing  interior  of  any.  The  choir  only  is  Early 
Gothic,  the  rest  being  chiefly  Flamboyant. 


auxerre 


St.  Pere  near  Vezelay*  has  a church  with  a 
very  remarkable  steeple,  which  we  will  refer  to 
this  style,  though  it  is,  in  fact,  scarce  clear  of  the 


* See  Frontispiece. 


166 


Transition.  It  stands  on  the  north  side  of  the 
west  front,  and  has  three  stages  of  windows  di- 
vided by  shafts;  at  the  angles  of  each  stage  are 
detached  shafts  supporting  canopies,  which  give 
the  whole  an  air  of  great  lightness.  It  is  at  pre- 
sent crowned  with  a small  wooden  spire,  but  is 
probably  unfinished.  The  body  of  the  church  is  of 
good  Early  Complete  Gothic,  of  much  simplicity: 
the  west  front,  and  a large  and  wide  western 
porch,  come  nearer  to  our  Flowing  Decorated. 

Lyons  cathedral  has  four  low  towers,  two  of 
them  flanking  the  west  front,  which  has  a pierced 
gable  rising  higher  than  the  roof ; the  other  two 
towers  are  more  massive,  and  form  transepts.  The 
elevation  of  the  front  is  not  bad,  but  too  flat,  from 
the  want  of  buttresses.  The  choir  is  of  a later 
style. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  describe  Cologne  cathe- 
dral : the  height  of  the  pier-arches  and  clerestory 
is  astonishing.  The  latter  is  supported  by  two 
tiers  of  flying  buttresses,  which  are  divided  by  pin- 
nacles that  rise  between  the  two  aisles  on  each 
side.  The  windows  are  canopied,  and  the  tri- 
forium  pierced  for  light.  The  great  profusion  of 
flying  buttresses  gives  the  choir  a very  fine,  though 
complicated  outline.  The  west  front,  rich  as  it 


**  , - 

♦ , 


7 tzfrhirf  - 


167 


is  in  detail,  presents  a striking  contrast,  from  the 
simplicity  of  its  composition.  No  more  of  this  is 
at  present  finished  than  a part  of  the  south-western 
tower,  equal  in  height  to  the  choir.  It  is  hardly 
free  from  the  characteristics  of  the  next  style. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  the  fronts  and  steeples 
of  Strasburg  and  Freyburg,  the  naves  of  both 
which  cathedrals  furnish  splendid  examples  of  the 
Early  Gothic. 

One  of  the  purest  specimens  in  Rhenish  Ger- 
many is  Altenberg  abbey.  The  traveller  through 
Cologne,  who  has  with  him  Professor  Whe well’s 
“Architectural  Notes,”  will  not  easily  resist  the 
temptation  of  visiting  this  interesting  church ; and 
most  assuredly  he  will  not  regret  the  excursion. 
The  distance  is  about  twelve  miles,  chiefly  on  a 
good  road;  but  the  abbey  itself,  which  occupies 
a deep  and  narrow  wooded  dell,  can  only  be  ap- 
proached on  foot.  The  west  front,  and  that  of  the 
north  transept,  are  lofty  and  of  excellent  eleva- 
tion ; the  choir  forms  a polygonal  apse,  with  fine 
flying  buttresses  ; the  aisle  at  the  east  end  also 
projects  between  the  principal  buttresses  in  small 
angular  apsides  : this  kind  of  arrangement  is  not 
uncommon  in  continental  Gothic.  The  flying 
buttresses  on  the  sides  of  the  choir  and  transept 


168 


have,  as  at  Cologne,  the  double  spring ; the  clere- 
story is  lofty,  its  windows  have  a geometrical 
tracery  of  trefoils  and  quatrefoils ; those  round 
the  apsidal  aisle  have  circles  in  their  heads. 
Many  of  the  lights  are  without  foliation.  The 
western  and  transept  windows  are  lofty,  and  of 
great  beauty.  The  piers  are  cylindrical  columns. 
The  south  transept  has  fallen  in,  and  much  of  the 
church  is  in  a ruinous  state ; it  is  now  undergoing 
repair.  There  is  no  tower  or  steeple  ; but  from 
a print  that  was  shewn  me  on  the  spot,  a small 
wooden  spire  seems  to  have  marked  the  inter- 
section. 

The  plan  of  St.  Werner’s  chapel  at  Bacharach 
is  transverse  triapsal;  the  apsides  are  polygonal, 
and  the  nave  very  short.  Its  windows  are  large, 
with  geometrical  tracery  of  trefoils.  Their  great 
beauty  and  lightness  are  seen  to  more  advantage 
in  the  present  dismantled  state  of  the  building 
than  if  it  had  been  complete.  Like  Altenberg,  it 
probably  never  had  a tower. 

St.  Catherine’s  church  at  Oppenheim  almost 
approaches  to  the  next  style  in  the  sharpness  of 
its  mouldings  and  the  flowing  lines  of  its  tracery. 
The  whole  of  the  south  side  is  a surface  of  open- 
work of  the  most  delicate  execution.  The  two 


western  towers  are  Romanesque,  or  Transition. 
The  western  chapel,  in  ruins,  is  of  a kind  of  per- 
pendicular, very  deficient  in  the  boldness  of  the 
English  style.  The  central  octagon,  which  rises 
nearly  to  the  height  of  the  western  spires,  has, 
like  the  eastern  one  at  Mainz,  a gable  over  each 
face;  it  is,  in  fact,  an  adaptation  of  those  in  the 
former  styles,  such  as  we  see  at  Sinzig  and  Bonn. 
Slender  buttresses  occupy  the  angles,  and  the 
points  of  the  belfry -windows  stand  higher  than 
the  spring  of  the  gables.  No  better  finish  can 
be  imagined  for  a church  of  this  description. 


170 


The  fabric,  which  is  in  a ruinous  state,  is  under- 
going repair. 

I will  notice  St.  Stephen’s  at  Mainz,  as  haying 
side  aisles  equal  in  height  to  the  central  one ; an 
arrangement  to  which  this  style  is  peculiarly  well 
suited,  on  account  of  the  height  which  it  allows  to 
its  piers  and  arches,  and  the  size  and  lightness  of 
the  windows,  which,  from  the  breadth  of  the  edifice, 
can  be  seen  to  great  advantage.  The  series  of 
small  roofs  which  diverge  from  the  principal  one, 
over  each  compartment  of  the  aisle,  seem  preferable 
to  three  parallel  longitudinal  ones,  and  certainly 
less  unsightly  than  the  large  heavy  roof  which  we 
find  at  Ahrweiler,  Frankfort,  and  Heidelberg.  The 
interior  of  this  church  is  extremely  beautiful ; and 
the  plan  seems  a good  one  when  space  is  required. 
The  only  difficulty  occurs  in  the  manner  of  finishing 
the  east  and  west  ends.  In  this  case,  a lofty 
octagonal  tower,  the  upper  stage  of  which  is  a 
modern  addition,  terminates  the  central  aisle  to 
the  westward ; but  again,  westward  of  this,  is  a 
porch  or  chapel  of  considerable  dimensions. 

This  style,  as  exhibited  in  Germany,  seems  to 
be  worked  with  greater  sharpness,  and,  in  fact,  to 
forestal  more  of  the  character  of  the  next^  than 
with  ourselves.  It  is  singular  how  little  the 


9h  Sttfihb- . JAcJ'i^-z. 


171 


omission  of  the  dripstone,  which  is  deemed  almost 
an  essential  member  in  our  architecture,  takes 
away  from  the  richness  of  the  German  Gothic. 

The  architect  who  adopts  the  Early  Complete 
Gothic,  if  he  intends,  not  merely  to  copy  its  details, 
but  to  preserve  its  true  character,  will,  perhaps, 
find  himself  much  more  limited  than  he  expects 
both  as  to  plan  and  outline.  His  gables  ought  to 
be  of  a certain  pitch,  perhaps  that  of  an  equilateral 
triangle  is  the  best ; although  a front  with  a hori- 
zontal capping  might  be  used  without  impropriety. 
His  vaultings,  which  are  nearly  indispensable,  should 
be  well  turned  ; and  these  will  involve  the  necessity 
of  high  walls,  and  deep  and  bold  buttresses.  It 
will  be  of  consequence  to  attend  carefully  to  the 
proportions,  both  as  regards  the  length,  breadth, 
and  height  of  the  whole  building,  and  also  the 
relation  to  each  other  of  the  several  parts,  the 
nave,  transepts,  and  chancel.  Any  defect  will  be 
more  fatal  to  beauty  in  this  style  than  the  next. 
If  the  tower  stands  at  the  end,  or  any  where  but  at 
the  centre,  its  best  finish  will  be  a spire,  either  of 
stone  or  wood.  That  used  in  Northamptonshire, 
which  meets  the  wall  without  parapets,  is  most 
suitable  to  a square  tower.  If  an  octagonal  stage 
be  made  to  intervene,  many  continental  buildings 


172 


may  be  copied  or  studied.  A central  tower,  if 
square,  and  without  a spire,  may  have  the  coved 
roof  with  two  gables;  if  octagonal,  may  have  a 
gable  on  each  face,  as  at  Oppenheim : embattled 
parapets  and  pinnacles  are,  perhaps,  better  reserved 
for  the  next  style.  Peterborough  cathedral,  how- 
ever, in  one  of  its  western  towers,  offers  a good 
arrangement  of  Early  Gothic  pinnacles.  But  if 
the  architect  is  prevented  by  the  exigencies  of  his 
building  from  preserving  those  graceful  proportions 
which  the  Early  Complete  Gothic  peremptorily 
demands,  he  ought  to  dismiss  it  at  once : without 
these  it  is  nothing;  and  the  very  beauty  of  its 
details  will  only  serve  to  place  in  a stronger  light 
the  deformity  of  the  whole. 


OiftK 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


ON  THE  LATE  COMPLETE  GOTHIC. 

The  Gothic  principle  was  now  fully  developed ; nor 
was  it  easy  to  devise  any  new  arrangement  by 
which  the  beauty  of  the  style  could  be  increased ; 
yet  it  was  possible  to  lessen  the  cost  and  labour 
whereby  an  equal  degree  of  richness,  especially  in 
parts  remote  from  the  eye,  might  be  obtained ; and 
it  was  also  desirable  to  give  the  system  a more 
extended  range,  so  that  it  might  be  adapted  with 
facility  to  a greater  number  of  forms  and  pur- 
poses. 

This  was  done,  in  the  first  place,  by  substitut- 
ing for  that  roundness  which  prevailed  as  well  in 
the  sections  of  mouldings  as  in  the  forms  of  tracery, 
a certain  sharpness  and  angularity,  which  might 
produce  with  greater  ease,  both  to  the  designer  and 
workman,  the  contrasts  of  light  and  shade,  and  the 
varieties  of  line,  so  necessary  to  give  richness  and 
effect.  It  is  evident  that  the  architects  of  the 


174 


earlier  Gothic  did  not  always  think  the  simple 
cylindrical  shaft  sufficient  to  give  this  contrast, 
even  with  the  help  of  the  deep  hollows  already 
mentioned;  for  they  often  made  use  of  a shaft 
with  a sharp  edge,  or  a composition  admitting  it. 
Such,  I think,  occurs  in  the  baptistery  of  Lincoln 
minster ; and  some  mouldings  in  the  pier-arches 
of  Stafford  church  are  of  this  description.  They 
also  marked  out  what  may  be  considered  a division 
between  the  light  and  dark  side  of  the  shaft  by  a 
vertical  string  or  fillet.  The  mullion  of  a window 
must  in  general  be  deep,  and  its  section  at  the 
middle  of  greater  width  than  the  faces  presented 
to  the  eye  ; consequently,  either  a plain  slope,  or 
a bold  concave  sweep,*  was  given  to  the  sides.  A 
similar  plan  soon  began  to  be  introduced  into  piers, 
architraves,  and  the  ribs  of  panelling ; shafts, 
though  by  no  means  discarded,  became  less  neces- 
sary ; and  even  the  capitals  of  the  piers  were 
omitted.  This  is  the  case  in  the  church  at  Abbe- 
ville, a fine  and  characteristic  specimen  of  French 
Flamboyant;  not  a single  capital  occurs  in  the 
interior  of  the  nave.  St.  Maclou  in  Rouen,  one 

* The  divisions  between  the  aisle-windows  of  Salisbury 
cathedral  have  this  bold  concavity : it  would,  however,  be  dif- 
ficult to  find  many  similar  instances  in  the  Early  English. 


f 


V^W0,W>**35=-Z.  -5 


o<& 


«* 


175 


of  the  most  florid  specimens,  has  the  same  pecu- 
liarity. The  piers  of  Antwerp  cathedral  are  also 
without  capitals ; and  in  our  late  perpendicular 
churches  the  capital  does  not  always  embrace  the 
whole  pier,  and  sometimes  is  altogether  left  out. 

As  in  the  sections  of  mouldings,  so  also  in  the 
lines  of  tracery,  the  same  sharp  and  angular  appear- 
ance was  affected.  The  first  compound  windows 
exhibit  scarce  any  points  or  angles  except  those 
of  the  arched  lights  themselves.  Presently  their 
number  was  increased  by  the  openings  made  in 
the  blank  spaces ; and  again  still  farther  by  folia- 
tion. But  in  every  case  the  circle,  whether  it  was 
complete,  as  in  the  west  window  of  Limburg,  and 
the  great  eastern  one  of  Lincoln,  or  appearing  only 
in  part,  as  one  of  the  arcs  of  a foliated  figure, 
seems  to  have  prevailed  over  the  angle,  and  to 
have  marked  the  character  of  the  design ; the 
foliation  was  no  more  than  a series  of  incomplete 
circles,  introduced,  as  it  were,  for  the  sake  of  re- 
peating the  original  figure. 

But  in  the  new  system  the  circular  arc  imme- 
diately becomes  subordinate ; for  neither  do  the 
curves  forming  the  foliations,  nor  those  in  the 
heads  of  inferior  arches,  of  necessity  preserve  this 
form ; the  mullions  branch  into  free  and  beautiful 


176 


curves,  often  varying  in  their  curvature,  and  having 
points  of  contrary  flexure  : and  the  figures  enclosed 
by  these  lines  are  of  necessity  foliated ; whenever 
they  are  not,  the  design  assumes  a meagre  and  im- 
perfect character.  I would  refer  the  reader  to  any 
of  the  later  French  buildings  in  which  the  Flam- 
boyant is  worked  without  foliation,  and  ask  him, 
whether  the  spirit  and  beauty  of  the  style  is  not 
much  impaired  ? When,  on  the  contrary,  geome- 
trical tracery  is  used,  the  want  of  foliation  is  never 
felt,  except  as  rendering  the  design  somewhat 
plainer  : which  shews,  that  in  one  case  the  circular 
arc,  in  the  other  the  point  or  angle,  is  the  decided 
characteristic. 

This  may  perhaps  account  for  the  difficulty  of 
composing  a beautiful  window  by  the  mere  crossing 
of  mullions  without  foliation,  or  by  making  the 
mullions  of  a window  of  two  lights  branch  into  the 
architrave,  the  heads  of  the  lights  and  space  above 
being  left  plain.  Such  a composition  involves 
neither  one  principle  nor  the  other : I grant  it  is 
occasionally  found  in  Gothic  buildings,  as  in  Lich- 
field chapter -house.  Bake  well  church.  Wells  ca- 
thedral, &c. ; but  it  requires  much  enrichment  to 
render  it  even  tolerable,  and,  at  the  best,  we  cannot 
help  wishing  some  other  form  had  been  adopted. 


177 


A large  window,  however,  of  this  sort,  is  exceed- 
ingly well  treated  in  Checkley  church,  Stafford- 
shire ; the  crossings  of  the  mullions  are  covered  by 
roses  of  stone-work,  which  quite  compensate  for 
the  want  of  foliation.  Similar  roses  occur  in  the 
chancel-windows  of  Norbury  church,  Derbyshire  ; 
these,  however,  have  a bold  kind  of  foliation.  As 
the  churches  are  at  no  great  distance  from  each 
other,  it  is  possible  they  were  erected  by  the  same 
architect.  I know  of  no  other  instance ; but  the 
effect  in  both  is  rich,  and  not  unworthy  of  imitation. 

When  I say  that  the  circle  is  characteristic  of 
the  style  in  one  class,  and  the  point  or  angle  in 
the  other,  I mean  only  in  tracery  and  sections  of 
mouldings : in  outline  the  angle  very  much  pre- 
dominates in  the  Early  Gothic ; and  perhaps  it  is 
this  very  contrast  between  the  superior  and  inferior 
lines  that  constitutes  its  beauty : hence  the  straight- 
sided angular  canopy  is  a favourite  ornament ; and 
it  may  be  we  are  to  look  to  some  cause  of  this 
nature  for  the  omission  of  the  dripstone  in  German 
architecture.  The  purer  any  Gothic  building  is, 
the  more  nearly  will  it  confine  itself  to  straight 
lines  in  its  external  surfaces,  and  to  curved  ones  in 
its  internal. 

The  other  important  change  introduced  by  the 

VOL.  I.  N 


178 


later  Gothic  architects  was  an  extended  license 
in  the  shape  both  of  gable  and  arch.  Even  the 
square-headed  window  seems  to  have  been  used 
during  the  prevalence  of  our  Flowing  Decorated ; 
we  meet  with  it  in  conjunction  with  windows  of 
that  style,  and  it  frequently  exhibits  the  same  kind 
of  tracery  itself.  Leigh  church  in  Staffordshire 
offers  good  examples,  though  possibly  of  rather  a 
late  period.  East  Sutton  church  in  Kent  has  a 
segmental  round-headed  window,  the  tracery  of 


which  may  be  called  Flowing,  though  not  worked 
with  great  freedom  : it  probably  dates  with  our 
later  Decorated  buildings. 

So  large  a number  of  gables  has  been  altered, 
that  it  is  difficult  to  tell  when  that  of  a low  pitch 
was  first  brought  into  use  in  the  northern  Gothic 


179 


architecture.  Even  in  the  south,  where  a low  roof 
is  general,  a high-pitched  gable  often  stands  free, 
as  at  Lyons.  Many  of  our  churches  shew,  by  the 
mark  upon  their  towers,  the  original  roof,  and 
consequently  gable,  to  have  been  of  a much  higher 
pitch  than  the  present.  But  the  pediments  of 
York  and  Beverley, — the  former  scarcely  clear  of 
the  Decorated,  the  latter  Early  Perpendicular, — 
are  low ; and  those  of  Melrose  abbey,  which  may 
be  classed  as  a link  between  the  two,  are  not  of  a 
high  pitch,  probably  on  account  of  the  stone  outer 
roof.  Sometimes  the  end  of  a nave  or  transept  is 
perfectly  flat,  without  any  gable.  This  is  the  case 
with  Stafford  church,  which  has  evidently  been 
much  altered  ; the  transepts  of  Wolverhampton 
church,  and  all  the  fronts  of  St.  Alban’s,  are  hori- 
zontal at  the  top.  The  church  of  Notre  Dame 
des  Victoires  at  Brussels,  of  good  Flamboyant 
character,  has  a west  front  of  this  sort,  the  eleva- 
tion of  which  is  admirable  : the  roof  of  the  nave 
has  a high  pitch,  but  joins  the  straight  capping  of 
the  front  by  a triangular  slope. 

The  introduction  of  the  low  Tudor  arch  in 
our  own  country,  and  of  the  elliptical  Burgundian 
arch  in  France,  though  of  a late  date,  can  hardly 


180 


be  said  to  debase  the  style,  since  it  is  a measure 
conducive  to  its  more  general  application.  Many 
fronts  or  compartments  are  better  filled  up  with 
the  flattened  arch  than  with  the  highly  pointed 
one  ; for  instance,  in  King’s  College  chapel,  where 
any  alteration  in  the  shape  of  the  eastern  or 
western  windows  would  be  far  from  an  improve- 
ment. Flattened  windows  are  often  the  best  adapted 
for  a clerestory  when  a timber  roof  is  employed, 
as  in  this  case  there  are  no  pointed  lateral  vault- 
ing cells  to  be  occupied  by  openings  corresponding 
in  form. 

It  may  be  easily  supposed  that  the  transition 
between  the  last  style  and  the  present  was  by  no 
means  abrupt.  Many  of  our  buildings  in  the  Flow- 
ing Decorated  have  both  the  general  outline  and 
several  of  the  characteristics  of  the  last ; insomuch 
that,  in  considering  English  architecture  alone,  the 
flowing  and  geometrical  kinds  of  Decorated  are 
very  properly  classed  together.  The  east  end  of 
Selby  church  in  Yorkshire  is  a very  beautiful  in- 
stance. The  window  of  one  of  the  aisles  is  still 
Early  Gothic,  having  geometrical  tracery;  the 
central  window  has  flowing  tracery,  and  is  one  of 
the  finest  in  England  ; its  mullions  and  sides  have 


^Attlrost  — 


181 


shafts  ; and  the  whole  composition  of  this  front, 
with  its  buttresses,  turrets,  and  pinnacles,  is  ad- 
mirable. The  interior  of  the  choir  is  an  excellent 
example  of  Decorated  Gothic  ; the  roof,  though  of 
wood,  is  vaulted.  The  nave  and  western  parts 
are  earlier,  and  exhibit  some  very  remarkable 
features  both  in  Norman  and  Transition.  The 
upper  part  of  the  central  tower  is  unfortunately 
modernised. 

The  west  front  of  Howden  church  in  York- 
shire presents  much  resemblance  to  the  earlier 
style ; but  the  central  tower  is  a noble  specimen 
of  Perpendicular  English.  The  choir,  a fine  De- 
corated composition,  is  in  ruins. 

Still  more  advanced  is  Melrose  abbey : the 
south  transept  has  flowing  tracery,  but  its  front 
partakes  not  a little  of  the  Flamboyant  character ; 
the  east  end  is  Perpendicular. 

Of  much  the  same  character  is  Nantwich  church 
in  Cheshire : the  exterior  of  the  chancel  is  very 
rich,  and  the  windows  have  tracery  of  a decidedly 
Perpendicular  character.  This  church  has  a beau- 
tiful central  octagon : much  of  its  delicate  work- 
manship is  destroyed  from  the  perishable  nature 
of  the  stone.  The  eastern  gable  is  very  flat ; in- 
deed it  can  hardly  be  called  a gable. 


WWW 


182 


The  annexed  cut  of  Gadsby  in  Leicestershire, 
for  which  I am  indebted  to  the  kindness  of  a friend* 


183 


appears  to  offer  a very  beautiful  species  of  De- 
corated, not  quite  free  from  the  geometrical  lines 
of  the  earlier  class,  and  yet  worked  with  the  sharp- 
ness of  the  later.  Windows  of  a similar  character 
occur  in  the  choir-aisles  of  Lichfield. 

Specimens  of  the  decorated  window  are  found 
in  every  part  of  England.  I may  name,  as  exhi- 
biting some  of  the  best,  Carlisle,  York,  the  above- 
mentioned  churches  of  Howden  and  Selby,  Sleaford 
in  Lincolnshire,  Newark  in  Nottinghamshire,  and 
Redgrove  in  Norfolk.  The  circular  window  in  the 
south  transept  of  Lincoln  minster  is  filled  with 
the  finest  flowing  tracery ; and  the  interior  of  this 
front  exhibits  a semicircular  arch  of  open-work, 
which  contains  the  circle,  forming  a sort  of  frame, 
and  shewing  the  window,  which  is  of  stained  glass, 
to  the  greatest  advantage. 

Some  small  churches  in  the  south  of  England 
have  Decorated  windows,  very  rough  in  their  work- 
manship, but  of  good  design.  I subjoin  two,  belong- 
ing to  Boughton  Aluph  and  Ulcomb,  both  in  Kent. 

When  the  Decorated  style  gave  way  to  the  Per- 
pendicular in  England,  the  Flamboyant  prevailed 
in  France,  and  other  countries  in  Europe.  The 
name,  I need  not  say,  is  derived  from  the  flame- 
like shape  given  to  the  openings  in  tracery,  which. 


-1 


184 


BOUGHTON  ALUPH.  ULCOMB. 


in  fact,  has  the  flowing  character  of  the  Decorated, 
but  seldom  exhibits  the  same  degree  of  beauty  and 
delicacy.  Specimens,  however,  of  great  elegance 
are  occasionally  to  be  found : I may  instance  the 
annexed  circular  window  in  the  west  front  of  the 
otherwise  Norman  church  at  Vaudreuil,  a small 
village  near  Louviers  in  Normandy.  The  win- 
dows are  not  always  symmetrical.  No  one  would 
hesitate  classing  a Flamboyant  building  with  our 
Perpendicular,  even  though  the  lines  which  cha- 
racterise the  latter,  and  give  it  its  name,  do  not 
prevail. 

Yet  there  are  continental  edifices  which  may 


4* 


* * 


185 


well  be  referred  to  our  Flowing  Decorated  : one  in 
particular  is  the  desecrated  church  of  St.  Etienne 
at  Caen,  near  the  abbey  of  the  same  name.  The 
interior  has  pier-arches  and  a clerestory,  the  tri- 
forium  space  being  occupied  by  a richly  and  deli- 
cately executed  band  of  open-work.  The  Spiers 
are  such  as  might  have  belonged  to  the  earlier 
Gothic ; indeed  it  may  be  remarked  generally,  that 
these  parts  of  the  building  preserve  the  early  cha- 
racter the  longest.  The  arches  are  very  well  turned. 
A lofty  central  octagon  is  open  as  a lantern  to  the 
interior,  and  much  ornamented.  The  west  front, 
though  it  is  difficult  to  obtain  a satisfactory  view 
of  it,  is  admirable  both  in  elevation  and  details ; 
the  latter,  however,  somewhat  approach  to  the 
more  florid  style  of  the  Flamboyant.  The  whole 
is  in  a ruinous  condition,  and  ought  to  be  care- 
fully copied  in  detail,  before  it  falls  into  utter 
decay. 

Much  also  of  St.  Pierre’s  at  Caen,  where  it 
does  not  Italianise,  is  of  this  character:  here  we 
observe  the  same  triforium  band  of  open-work. 
The  steeple,  engaged  in  the  south  aisle  near  its 
western  extremity,  with  a handsome  porch  in  front, 
is  the  type  of  many  in  the  neighbourhood.  Like 
Norrey,  it  has  very  lofty  belfry  - windows ; the 


186 


spire  is  complete,  and,  as  is  not  uncommon,  orna- 
mented with  scales. 

St.  Sauveur  has  a similar  steeple,  but  of  a less 
tapering  form. 

St.  Jean,  which  inclines  to  Flamboyant,  has  the 
pierced  triforium  band ; it  has  a fine  western  tower, 
with  details  like  that  of  St.  Pierre,  but  no  spire. 
At  the  intersection  of  the  transepts  are  the  rudi- 
ments of  an  Italianising  tower. 

Rouen.  The  middle  part  of  the  west  front  of 
the  cathedral  is  a mass  of  fretwork,  rather  confused 
in  point  of  detail ; but  the  southern  tower  is  a fine 
composition,  rich  in  panelling,  and  crowned  with 
an  elegant  octagon.  The  central  tower,  whose 
masonry  does  not  attain  so  great  a height,  is  dis- 
figured by  an  enormous  iron  spire,  yet  incomplete, 
which  will  never  look  like  any  thing  but  a structure 
of  scaffolding.  This  is  one  of  the  mistakes  into 
which  we  fall,  from  an  ignorance  of  the  very  nature 
and  principles  of  art.  Open-work  in  stone  is  very 
beautiful  in  appearance,  and  a great  trial  of  skill  to 
the  workman.  The  same  thing  in  iron,  a material 
which  cannot  well  be  worked  any  other  way,  is 
meagre  and  unsatisfactory  in  the  extreme.  I could 
not  have  conceived  such  an  union  of  flimsiness  and 
heaviness. 


187 


St.  Maclou  is  an  example  of  Flamboyant  in  its 
most  florid  form.  The  west  front  is  not  a bad 
composition ; but  its  ornaments  are  so  compli- 
cated, that  it  is  impossible  to  trace  their  design 
or  meaning.  The  church  is  of  great  height  in 
proportion  to  its  length,  and  has  a fine  central 
tower  and  transepts,  a polygonal  apse,  and  fly- 
ing buttresses.  The  triforium  in  this,  and  other 
churches  in  Rouen,  consists  of  foliated  arches, 
instead  of  the  band  noticed  at  Caen.  This  edifice, 
the  front  and  nave  of  Abbeville,  and  the  transepts 
of  Beauvais,  Sens,  and  Auxerre,  are  the  best  and 
most  characteristic  specimens  of  the  style  I have 
seen,  and  should  be  studied  with  attention,  on  ac- 
count both  of  their  details  and  elevations.  In  too 
many  instances  the  Flamboyant  shews  symptoms  of 
debasement,  and  a leaning  towards  the  Italianising 
style  that  soon  found  its  way  into  France.  Some 
of  the  churches  in  Caen,  the  south  transept  of 
Beauvais,  parts  of  the  churches  of  Vernon,  Lou- 
viers,  and  others,  are  examples  of  this.  St.  Maclou, 
though  evidently  of  the  latest  Gothic,  is  remark- 
ably free  from  this  blemish ; but  the  simplicity  of 
design  that  prevails  in  our  perpendicular  buildings 
of  equal  richness  gives  them,  I think,  a decided 
advantage. 


188 


The  choir  of  St.  Ouen  has  been  noticed  as  a 
specimen  of  Early  Complete  Gothic ; but  the  rest 
of  this  magnificent  structure  is  of  a style  peculiar 
to  itself.  It  cannot  be  referred  to  our  Perpen- 
dicular, nor  yet  to  our  Decorated  ; and  it  may  cer- 
tainly be  said  to  take  a much  higher  rank  than  the 
mass  of  the  French  Flamboyant.  The  outside  of 
the  nave  reminds  us  at  once  of  the  former  of  these 
three  worked  in  its  very  best  manner,  though  both 
of  the  other  two  are  represented  in  the  tracery. 
The  upper  part  of  the  beautiful  central  tower,  with 
its  octagon,  approaches  in  character,  though  not 
in  its  actual  lines,  to  our  latest  Gothic,  the  pin- 
nacles having  small  cupolas.  The  circular  window, 
the  greatest  beauty  of  the  French  Flamboyant, 
appears  in  its  perfection  both  in  the  transept  ends 
and  west  front.  The  nave  is  very  lofty,  but  not 
too  much  so  for  the  other  proportions  of  the  build- 
ing. I had  been  led  to  expect  an  unpleasing 
degree  of  lightness  in  the  interior,  from  the  size 
and  number  of  the  windows,  the  triforium  being 
pierced  for  light ; but,  whether  it  was  owing  to  the 
quantity  of  painted  glass,  or  that  the  colour  of  the 
piers  and  walls  had  subsided  into  that  of  grey 
stone,  such  an  effect  did  not  strike  me,  even  in 
the  middle  of  a bright  day ; and  at  the  close  of 


189 


the  evening  nothing  could  be  more  truly  impres- 
sive. The  west  front  is  unfinished ; there  are  the 
rudiments  of  towers  attached  to  it  diagonally.  I 
am  not  clear  that  their  completion  would  have 
improved  the  building.  If  they  were  now  to  be 
finished,  without  raising  them  higher,  as  porches 
or  chapels,  and  the  front  suitably  enriched  with 
turrets  and  pinnacles,  it  strikes  me  the  building 
would  be  complete.  As  it  is,  I do  not  know  a 
Gothic  edifice,  in  the  most  advanced  stage  of  the 
art,  as  a whole,  comparable  to  the  abbey  church 
of  St.  Ouen.  It  is  to  the  Late  Gothic  what  Salis- 
bury is  to  the  Early. 

The  steeples  of  Harfleur  and  Candebec,  on  the 
Seine,  should  be  noticed;  the  former  for  its  sim- 
plicity, the  latter  for  the  complexity  of  its  decora- 
tions. 

Part  of  the  central  tower  at  Bayeux  is  rich 
Flamboyant ; but  it  Italianises  towards  the  top, 
and  ends  in  a modern  cupola. 

The  transepts  of  Sens  and  Auxerre  are  covered 
externally  with  the  boldest  flowing  tracery,  cut 
with  great  depth  and  sharpness  of  edge,  and  occa- 
sionally standing  free  from  the  wall.  The  doors 
and  rose-windows  are  magnificent.  In  the  north- 
west tower  of  Auxerre,  which  seems  hardly  finished. 


190 


the  work  is  not  of  quite  so  bold  a character ; and 
even  shews  some  slight  signs  of  debasement.  The 
corresponding  tower  has  not  been  carried  so  high 
as  the  nave.  The  front  has  a rich  gabled  porch 
between  the  flanking  buttresses,  with  much  open 
tracery.  The  length  of  this  cathedral,  like  that  of 
some  others  in  France,  is  scarcely  sufficient  for  its 
height;  and  there  is  no  central  tower  either  here 
or  at  Sens. 

St.  Germain  at  Auxerre,  though  plainer,  is  a 
fine  specimen  of  the  style  ; and  some  of  the  tracery 
partakes  of  the  character  of  Early  Gothic.  Part 
of  the  church  is  destroyed ; there  remain  a few 
compartments  of  the  nave,  and  the  whole  of  the 
transepts  and  polygonal  choir,  which  are  of  great 
height.  It  has  no  central  tower.  Under  the 
church  are  some  curious  crypts  at  different  depths, 
one  being  placed  above  the  other.  A tower  and 
steeple,  of  a much  earlier  date,  once  belonging  to 
the  west  front,  now  stands  detached. 

The  cathedral  of  Dijon  is  also  of  great  height 
in  proportion  to  its  length,  and  on  this  account 
does  not  form  a pleasing  outline  : the  west  front, 
however,  which  is  flanked  by  octagonal  towers, 
is  not  inelegant.  At  the  intersection  is  a tall 
wooden  spire. 


. 


191 


St.  Michel’s  (Dijon)  shews  signs  of  Italianising, 
even  in  its  Gothic  parts.  Its  front  is  cinque  cento , 
with  two  towers  and  cupolas.  The  three  western 
doors,  which  are  round-headed,  are  of  great  depth, 
and  much  enriched  with  sculpture ; they  may  be 
cited  as  a favourable  specimen  of  debased  Gothic. 
The  piers  of  the  nave  are  oblong  in  plan,  and 
much  flattened  at  the  sides ; so  that  the  front  pre- 
sented to  the  spectator  who  looks  across  the  nave 
is  far  too  narrow.  The  church,  however,  is  a fine 
one,  with  a low  central  octagon  of  better  design 
than  execution.  It  has  a polygonal  apse,  with 
lofty  windows  and  transepts.  Another  building  at 
Dijon,  which  seems  to  have  been  a church,  though 
now  desecrated,  is  in  the  form  of  a cross,  without 
aisles.  Two  fine  towers  occupy  the  angle  between 
the  transepts  and  eastern  branch  of  the  cross, 
ranging  with  the  front  of  each ; the  east  end  is 
flat,  with  a lofty  gable.  It  has  also  an  eastern 
door, — rather  a singular  feature  in  a church,  and 
yet  the  building  seems  to  have  been  designed  for 
no  other  purpose.  It  stands  east  and  west;  and 
the  transept -fronts  much  resemble  those  of  St. 
Michel,  having  two  mullioned  windows,  side  by 
side,  with  a circle  over  them.  The  arches  in  the 
tower  are  without  mullions  or  foliation.  The 


192 


Halle  au  Ble,  likewise  a desecrated  church,  is 
chiefly  Italian  ; the  piers  and  arches  would  fur- 
nish a good  hint  for  pure  Romanesque,  from  their 
simplicity ; but  the  vaulting  is  very  tolerable 
Gothic,  though  with  some  inconsistencies.  The 
polygonal  apse  has  fine  lancet-windows  and  plain 
external  buttresses  of  great  depth. 

In  this  interesting  town  are  many  domestic 
remains  of  the  Burgundian  style  ; some  fine  towers 
and  other  parts  of  the  old  ducal  palace  still  exist. 
I was  shewn  a very  curious  specimen  in  a build- 
ing which  was  formerly  the  residence  of  the 
English  ambassadors.  It  is  a Gothic  staircase, 
on  the  top  of  which  stands  the  figure  of  a man 
with  a basket  on  his  shoulder,  whence  spring,  in 
the  form  of  a plant  or  tree,  the  vaulting  ribs  of 
the  roof:  these  are  foliated  in  a very  bold  man- 
ner. The  whole  is  of  good  execution,  though 
evidently  late  in  the  style.  The  entrance  to  this 
is  through  a shop,  not  far  from  the  church  of 
Notre  Dame. 

St.  Nizier’s  at  Lyons  has  been  noticed  as  pre- 
serving the  square  abacus  in  its  piers.  Though  of 
a late  date,  and  shewing  manifest  proofs  of  debase- 
ment, it  is  nevertheless  a fine  church,  with  large 
transepts  and  a polygonal  apse,  but  no  central 


193 


tower.  The  steeple  is  on  the  north  side  of  the 
west  front,  which  is  much  modernised. 

The  cathedral  of  Vienne,  on  the  Rhone,  is  a 
beautiful  and  well-proportioned  church.  It  is  of 
less  height  than  those  in  the  northern  parts  of 
France;  and  its  length  is  considerable*  though  it 
has  no  transepts  nor  central  tower.  Two  low  mas- 
sive towers  flank  the  west  front,  which  is  of  the 
best  Flamboyant  character;  rich,  without  being 
overloaded  with  ornament.  Some  parts  of  the 
church  are  probably  of  an  earlier  date. 

In  the  south  of  France  we  meet  with  churches 
of  excellent  Gothic,  though  without  much  pre- 
tension to  magnificence,  either  from  their  scale, 
or  quantity  of  ornament*  They  are  generally  of 
considerable  width,  with  a very  finely  turned  vault, 
the  crown  of  which  is  often  higher  than  the  point 
of  the  arches  terminating  the  lateral  cells  ; the 
vaulting-arch  is  rather  obtuse.  Neither  the  piers 
nor  clerestory  are  very  lofty,  and  there  is  seldom 
a triforium.  In  fact,  their  interiors  are  not  unlike 
those  of  many  English  churches,  with  the  addition 
of  vaulting.  When  they  are  tolerably  free  from 
modern  decoration,  which  is  too  rarely  the  case, 
the  effect  is  remarkably  good.  Of  this  sort  are 
some  of  the  churches  at  Avignon ; Villeneuve,  on 


VOL.  i. 


o 


194 


the  opposite  side  of  the  Rhone;  the  middle  aisle 
of  the  cathedral  at  Aix  in  Provence,  also  another 
church  in  the  same  town ; Salon,  between  Aix 
and  Arles  ; St.  Maximin,  on  the  road  between  Aix 
and  Nice;  the  museum  at  Arles  (a  desecrated 
church);  Tourves;  and  many  others.  The  out- 
side is  mostly  plain ; and,  to  support  the  span  of 
the  vault,  buttresses  are  used,  consisting  of  an  un- 
broken wall  extending  over  the  aisle,  where  flying 
buttresses  occur  in  lighter  buildings.  The  but- 
tresses round  the  apse  are  often  very  deep,  and 
almost  without  slopes,  as  in  the  annexed  church, 
one  at  Avignon.  At  Salon,  the  side-buttresses  of 
the  west  front  slope  more  than  the  sides  of  the 
gable,  giving  an  effect  far  from  pleasing.  The 
cathedral  at  Aix  in  Provence  has  a rich  western 
porch ; the  tower,  which  stands  on  the  north  side, 
is  surmounted  by  a lofty  open  octagon,  with  lancet- 
arches.  The  front  of  St.  Pierre  at  Avignon  is 
rectangular,  of  great  breadth,  and  flanked  with 
turrets  and  spires.  The  door  has  an  ogee  canopy ; 
and  the  whole  has  rather  a Perpendicular  cha- 
racter. The  tower,  which  has  a well-proportioned 
spire,  stands  on  one  side  near  the  east  end.  The 
interior  is  much  modernised. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Rhine  it  is  very 


195 


difficult  to  mark  the  distinction  between  this  style 
and  the  preceding.  The  front  of  Strasburg  cathe- 
dral is  certainly  not  in  the  Flamboyant  style ; and 
yet  the  spectator  cannot  fail  to  perceive  a differ- 
ence between  this  and  the  nave,  which  is  a fine 
specimen  of  the  Early  Complete  Gothic.  In  fact, 
the  German  architect  seems  at  an  early  period  to 
have  combined  the  sharp-edged  mouldings  of  the 
one  with  the  geometrical  tracery  of  the  other,  and 
thus  to  have  produced  a peculiar  and  very  pleasing 
kind  of  Transition.  The  steeple  of  Frey  burg  is, 
I should  say,  still  later  (in  character)  than  that 
of  Strasburg.  The  choir  is  Flamboyant  of  a late 
date,  and  internally  exhibits  some  of  those  German 
peculiarities  which  detract  in  a measure  from  its 
beauty.  Such  is  the  crossing  or  interpenetration 
of  mouldings  at  the  imposts,*  which  must  have 
been  as  laborious  in  execution  as  it  is  poor  in 
effect.  This  part  of  the  building  is,  however, 
imposing  in  its  proportions,  and  altogether  a 
favourable  example  of  the  style  as  it  appears  in 
Germany. 

Oppenheim  church  may  also  be  considered  as 
belonging  rather  to  a Transition  between  the  two 

* An  impost  of  this  description  is  given  in  the  3d  plate  of 
Mr.  Willis’s  “ Remarks,”  No.  XIV. 


196 


styles,  than  wholly  to  either.  Such  Transition,  as 
we  have  observed,  if  the  styles  are  of  equal  excel- 
lence, may  rival  both : undoubtedly  it  does  so  in 
the  present  instance. 

The  Liebfraukirche,  near  Worms,  has  a west 
front  that  might  be  referred  to  the  Late  Gothic. 
It  has  two  octagonal  towers,  rather  light  than 
massive*  The  church  has  transepts  and  a poly- 
gonal apse,  but  no  central  tower.  Heidelberg 
church  has  a lofty  western  tower,  finished  with 
an  octagon,  and  a large  heavy  roof  comprising  the 
aisles.  Frankfort  cathedral  has  a similar  roof ; but 
its  transepts  and  bold  apsidal  choir,  though  with- 
out any  central  tower,  give  it  a more  varied  outline. 
The  western  tower,  which  is  rich,  though  un- 
finished, is  one  of  the  latest  specimens  of  Gothic. 
Indeed,  the  use  of  a round  cupola  at  the  top, 
though  intended,  as  we  see  in  Moller’s  Denkmahler , 
to  be  crowned  with  a spire,  is  a decided  symptom 
of  debasement. 

Berne  and  Freyburg  in  Switzerland  have  both 
handsome  churches  of  this  style.  The  former  ex- 
hibits a Flamboyant  of  late  character,  with  some 
peculiarities  in  the  tracery,  shewing  the  style  to  be 
drawing  near  to  its  close  : its  general  effect  is  that 
of  our  latest  Perpendicular.  The  western  tower. 


197 


which  is  engaged,  and,  as  well  as  the  aisles,  pre- 
ceded by  a plain  flat  porch  level  with  the  projec- 
tions of  the  buttresses,  is  rich,  though  apparently 
unfinished.  The  church  has  no  triforium  ; neither 
are  there  any  transepts  nor  central  lantern.  The 
architect  is  said  to  be  the  son  of  Erwin  von  Stein- 
bach,  who  built  the  front  of  Strasburg  minster. 

Freyburg  cathedral  has  a lofty  western  octagonal 
tower,  with  a capping  of  pinnacles.  The  church 
is  without  transepts,  and  somewhat  deficient  in 
length.  The  interior,  however,  is  handsome,  and 
has  the  triforium  gallery.  As  it  is  to  be  hoped  no 
tourist  passes  through  this  town  without  stopping 
to  hear  the  celebrated  organ,  the  church  must  be 
well  known.  Its  western  door,  as  well  as  that  of 
Berne,  is  remarkable  for  its  sculpture. 

Of  Late  Continental  Gothic  churches,  perhaps 
those  of  Holland  and  Belgium  are  the  finest.  The 
front  and  steeple  of  Antwerp  cathedral  are  so  well 
known  that  it  is  needless  to  describe  them.  The 
lines  of  tracery  are  Flamboyant ; yet  no  one  will 
hesitate  to  class  this  building  with  our  latest  Per- 
pendicular;— the  bold  projection  of  the  cornices 
and  galleries  is  a remarkable  feature.  The  interior 
is  fine,  from  its  plainness  and  the  number  of  its 
aisles.  We  have  remarked  the  piers  as  being 


198 


without  capitals — I cannot  think  them  in  this  case 
improved  by  the  omission ; they  are  clustered,  but 
not  with  any  great  depth  of  effect. 

The  steeple  of  the  Niewe  Kerck,  at  Delft  in 
Holland,  is,  in  its  elevation  and  outline,  scarcely 
inferior  to  that  of  Antwerp  ; its  details,  however, 
are  very  different  in  point  of  richness.  It  stands, 
like  that  of  most  Dutch  churches,  at  the  west  end. 

St.  Jaques  at  Antwerp,  the  burial-place  of 
Rubens,  has  a fine  though  probably  unfinished 
western  tower,  transepts,  and  a polygonal  choir 
with  aisle : the  whole  is  of  great  height.  The 
piers  are  cylindrical,  and  support  well -shaped 
pointed  arches : there  is  no  triforium,  but  a lofty 
clerestory  with  pointed  windows. 

This  description  will  serve  for  many  large 
churches  both  in  Holland  and  Belgium.  The 
cathedrals  at  Ghent,  Mechlin,  Rotterdam,  and 
Dort,  have  fine  western  towers ; St.  Nicholas  at 
Ghent,  a central  one  ; St.  Gudule  at  Brussels,  two 
of  great  richness  and  good  elevation,  flanking  the 
west  front. 

Though  I have  spoken  of  Flamboyant  as  per- 
vading both  Germany  and  Belgium,  it  must  be 
understood  as  being  very  different  in  character 
from  the  French.  I could  not  point  out  the  differ- 


' 


199 


ences  without  entering  more  minutely  into  the 
subject  of  detail  than  I have  prepared  myself  to 
do ; the  student  will,,  however,  find  no  difficulty 
in  procuring  engravings  which  will  assist  him, 
should  he  wish  to  pursue  the  inquiry.  One  pecu- 
liarity in  Dutch  and  Flemish  architecture  seems 
to  be,  that  the  tracery  of  the  windows  is  of  less 
importance  than  usual,  on  account  of  their  beau- 
tiful proportions.  Some  windows  still  retain  it, 
others  are  stripped  of  it,  and  some  appear  never 
to  have  had  it  at  all.  This  last  appears  to  be  the 
case  with  the  large  transept  window  of  St.  Jean 
at  Brussels,  noticed  in  a former  page  ; the  choir- 
windows  are  lancet,  and  might  be  Early  English. 
The  west  window,  also,  of  St.  Nicholas  in  Ghent 
is  a large  undivided  one.  The  magnificent  choir 
of  Aix-la-Chapelle  has  windows  without  tracery; 
but  a bold  feathering  runs  round  the  arches  of 
their  heads.  Indeed,  as  doors  and  pier-arches 
are  without  foliation,  there  can  be  no  real  incon- 
sistency in  windows  without  any ; but  when  they 
are  large,  they  should  have  the  best  proportions 
that  can  be  given  them,  and  the  architrave  mould- 
ings ought  to  exhibit  a good  contrast  of  light  and 
shade. 

St.  Jacques,  Liege,  is  a splendid  church  in 


200 


point  of  ornament,,  but  of  a clearly  debased  style. 
Here  the  pier-arches  are  foliated ; and  there  is  a 
double  shaft  under  the  spring  of  the  vaulting. 

Huy  cathedral  is  a fine  building,  with  a large 
and  massive  western  tower,  a smaller  northern  one 
between  the  choir  and  transept,  and  an  unfinished 
southern  one  in  a similar  position.  It  has  a hand- 
some western  rose-window.  The  interior  is  simple 
and  beautiful.  The  town-halls  and  domestic  build- 
ings in  the  Netherlands  probably  afford  the  latest 
specimens  of  the  style  in  its  purity. 

Before  we  bid  adieu  to  continental  examples  of 
the  Late  Gothic,  we  must  notice  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  specimens  in  Europe — Milan  cathedral. 

The  traveller  who  estimates  the  merit  of  a 
building  by  its  size,  the  richness  of  its  work,  and 
the  costliness  of  its  material,  will  pronounce  this 
to  be  unrivalled  ; while  many  who  have  formed 
their  ideas  of  excellence  in  Gothic  architecture 
upon  the  models  furnished  by  Germany,  France, 
and  England,  will  condemn  it  as  utterly  incon- 
sistent with  the  style.  I must  confess  I went  to 
Milan  with  a disposition  to  find  every  possible 
fault,  supposing  this  cathedral  to  be  a mere  sub- 
stitution of  florid  magnificence  for  taste  and  art ; 
but  I came  away  impressed  with  the  highest  ad~ 


201 


Whitts 


miration.  I will  not  say,  that  some  of  its  defects 
did  not  strike  me  immediately.  The  pinnacles 
appear  too  slender,  and  the  statues  that  crown 
them  would  have  been  better  placed  elsewhere ; 
the  splendid  flying  buttresses  are  almost  lost  from 


202 


their  position ; many  of  the  windows  are  of  an 
unpleasing  shape  ; and  the  use  of  the  rose-window, 
which  I could  not  help  thinking  would  have  im- 
proved the  transepts,  is  unaccountably  avoided; 
the  vaulting -arches  are  heavy,  and  even  clumsy. 
Of  the  details  of  the  west  front,  I say  nothing,  as 
they  cannot  be  attributed  to  the  design  of  any  of 
its  Gothic  architects.  But  these  failings,  serious 
as  they  may  appear  in  description,  in  reality  but 
little  affect  the  whole.  In  its  general  proportions, 
I have  no  hesitation  in  pronouncing  it  superior  to 
most  large  continental  churches  I have  seen : the 
relation  between  the  nave,  which  is  of  considerable 
length,  the  transepts,  the  choir,  and  the  central 
octagon,  is  perfect;  the  latter,  indeed,  may  not 
have  been  improved  by  its  tall  pinnacle.  The 
elevations  of  the  transepts  are  extremely  fine, 
though  a rose-window  might  have  added  to  their 
beauty : perhaps,  however,  the  low  pitch  of  the 
gable  renders  such  a form  of  window  unsuitable. 
The  exterior  perspective  of  either  side  aisle,  to  a 
spectator  standing  near  enough  to  avoid  seeing 
the  flying  buttresses  and  clerestories  above,  is  ad- 
mirable, and  truly  Gothic.  The  best  view  is  the 
north-eastern  ; that  from  the  west,  which  is  usually 
given  on  account  of  the  large  area  in  front,  does 


203 


the  least  justice  to  the  design  of  the  original  archi- 
tect. The  aisle-buttresses  are  deep  and  massive, 
without  slopes ; and  the  intervening  windows  tall, 
and  of  great  beauty.  The  surface  of  the  walls 
and  buttresses  are  panelled  ; the  trefoiled  arch 
and  canopy  are  the  prevailing  features ; the  para- 
pets are  lofty,  and  of  open-work : though  some  of 
the  windows  have  geometrical  tracery,  these,  as 
well  as  all  the  rest  of  the  detail,  may  safely  be  re- 
ferred to  the  Late  Gothic. 

An  objection  has  been  made  to  the  small  size 
of  the  clerestory.  Before  we  fully  admit  this,  let 
us  consider  the  circumstances  of  the  building.  It 
is  essentially  an  Italian,  and  not  a German  church  ; 
and  it  is  built  according  to  Italian  ideas  and  usages. 
The  architect  has  consulted  these  in  every  part  of 
his  work:  it  was  his  task  to  unite  the  grandeur, 
the  appearance  of  almost  unlimited  extent,  the 
accurate  mechanical  arrangement,  and  the  im- 
posing proportions  belonging  to  the  Gothic  style, 
with  the  peculiarities  which  then  existing  Italian 
churches  presented,  and  which,  in  compliance  with 
national  feeling,  it  was  desirable  to  preserve.  And 
this  may  account  for  the  shape  of  the  west  front, 
which  has  a gable  embracing  all  the  aisles,  as  at 
S.  Michele,  S.  Pietro,  and  S.  Pantaleone  in  Pavia, 


204 


and  S.  Ambrogio  and  others  in  Milan.  Now  in 
that  sunny  climate,  the  interior  of  a church  was 
evidently  designed  to  be  as  gloomy  as  possible.  In 
some,  as  we  have  noticed,  the  clerestory  is  wholly 
omitted ; in  others,  it  is  exceedingly  small ; and 
the  same  effect  has  been  studiously  preserved  in 
churches  of  the  Revived  Italian,  whose  gloom,  on 
our  entering  their  doors,  contrasts  pleasingly  with 
the  bright  sunshine  without,  and  seems  intended 
to  dispose  the  worshipper  to  a frame  of  mind  which 
the  glare  of  a more  highly  lighted  edifice  might 
have  failed  to  produce ; and  to  remind  him  of  that 
most  beautiful  of  scriptural  images,  “ the  shadow 
of  a great  rock  in  a weary  land.”  This  must  have 
been  contemplated  by  the  builder  of  the  splendid 
fabric  now  before  us.  The  aisle-windows,  though 
lofty,  are  as  narrow  as  the  nature  of  the  building 
would  permit,  and  are,  moreover,  filled  with  painted 
glass  of  the  richest  and  deepest  colours : the  clere- 
story is  only  sufficient  to  prevent  the  work  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  pillars  and  arches  from  being 
lost  in  darkness ; the  piers  are  surrounded  by  fine 
bands  of  niches  just  at  the  spring  of  the  arch,  and 
which  occupy  the  same  position,  in  reference  to 
the  eye  of  the  spectator,  with  the  triforium  in  the 
generality  of  cathedrals.  They  seem  intended  to 


205 


VJHIMRER* 


stand  out  in  bold  relief  against  the  vault  of  the 
church,  so  as  to  increase  its  apparent  height,  and 
deepen  its  gloom  ; an  effect  aided  by  an  artifice  un- 
worthy of  so  vast,  and  in  reality  so  simple  a struc- 
ture,— the  imitation  in  fresco  of  intricate  tracery 
between  the  ribs  of  the  vaulting.  The  pendentives 


206 


of  the  central  octagon  are  rather  of  the  Byzantine 
than  the  Romanesque  description,  having  concave 
slopes  supporting  the  diagonals.  As  there  are  two 
aisles  on  each  side,  the  vast  number  of  similar  pil- 
lars with  their  rich  crowns  of  Gothic  work,  and, 
above  all,  their  equality  (for  the  four  central  ones 
under  the  dome  are  scarce  perceptibly  larger  than 
the  others) ; the  great  width  of  the  nave ; the 
height  of  the  vaulting -arch,  which  is  acutely 
pointed ; and  the  length  of  the  whole  church, — 
render  this  the  most  imposing  interior  that  can 
be  conceived ; in  some  respects  excelling  those 
whose  greater  variety  of  parts  and  details  tends 
to  distract  rather  than  tranquillise  the  mind  of  the 
spectator. 

We  will  now  return  to  our  English  Perpendi- 
cular. This  may  be  said  to  bear  a sort  of  analogy 
to  the  Early  Geometrical  Gothic,  however  different 
in  appearance.  For  as  the  one  obtains  richness 
by  the  repetition  and  reduplication  of  circles  and 
figures  composed  of  circular  arcs,  so  the  other 
effects  it  by  the  repetition  of  upright  lights,  or 
compartments  in  panelling.  Between  the  two 
comes  the  Flowing  Decorated;  as  beautiful,  but 
as  transient,  as  the  flowers  whose  outline  it  loves 
to  imitate : transient,  1 say,  in  its  very  nature. 


207 


from  the  difficulty  of  the  task  it  imposes  upon  the 
designer  and  workman.  The  principle  of  repeti- 
tion is  in  a great  measure  abandoned;  the  artist 
is  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  for  variety,  and 
hence,  in  many  cases,  contents  himself  with  a 
meagre,  naked,  and  unornamented  style,  such  as 
the  Decorated  of  our  village  churches  sometimes 
presents ; or  else,  in  his  pursuit  after  novelty,  falls 
upon  the  intricate  and  unsuitable  combinations  of 
the  later  Flamboyant,  and  utterly  confuses  the 
design  he  is  attempting  to  enrich.  The  introduc- 
tion of  the  perpendicular  line  saved  the  English 
Gothic  from  debasement.  When  it  was  discovered 
how  ornament  might  be  multiplied,  to  an  almost 
indefinite  extent,  upon  a system  the  most  simple 
and  easily  understood,  and,  above  all,  the  most  in 
accordance  with  the  known  principles  of  Gothic 
architecture, — an  important  step  was  taken  in  the 
art,  and  one  to  which  we  are  indebted,  not  only 
for  some  of  the  finest  buildings  we  already  possess, 
but,  if  I mistake  not,  for  the  hope  of  a revived 
style;  for  till  we  are  content  to  take  up  our  na- 
tional architecture  at  the  point  where  our  ancestors 
left  it,  before  it  became  thoroughly  debased,  we 
shall  be  wandering,  as  it  were,  without  a clue  or 


208 


guide,  and  losing  ourselves  in  the  vain  attempt  to 
combine  incongruous  elements. 

A great  advantage  which  results  from  this  in- 
creased use  of  the  vertical  line,  is  a much  freer 
application  of  the  horizontal.  The  square-headed 
window,  filled  with  flowing  tracery,  was  sometimes 
used  in  the  Decorated  English ; but  this  was  done 
sparingly,  and  in  cases  of  necessity : and  though 
we  occasionally  find  a transom  in  a decorated 
window,  it  is  a very  unusual  feature : in  the  Per- 
pendicular style  it  becomes  universal ; and  by  its 
means,  windows  are  carried  to  an  extraordinary 
height,  without  the  least  appearance  either  of  dis- 
proportion or  insecurity.  Those  in  the  central 
tower,  choir,  and  east  end  of  York  minster  are 
fine  examples. 

But  this  style  appears  to  the  greatest  advantage 
in  the  finish  of  towers.  We  know  how  the  Ger- 
mans avoided  the  horizontal  line  in  that  part  of  the 
structure.  The  sides  of  a tower  or  octagon  often 
terminated  in  gables ; and  the  whole  was  sur- 
mounted by  a dome  or  spire,  which  was  of  wood, 
if  the  substructure  was  not  capable  of  bearing  one 
of  stone.  In  the  Perpendicular  English,  on  the 
contrary,  the  tower  was  boldly  finished  with  the 


209 


horizontal  line ; broken,  it  is  true,  with  the  em- 
battled parapet,  and  varied  with  pinnacles,  but  still 
without  disguise  or  concealment ; for  it  was  felt  to 
form  an  excellent  contrast  with  the  vertical  lines 
of  the  edifice.  The  square  tower,  with  its  capping 
of  battlements  and  pinnacles  (I  cannot  name  a 
better  example  than  that  of  Magdalen  College, 
Oxford),  is  one  of  the  noblest  features  of  Gothic 
architecture,  and  is  peculiarly  our  own : nor  is  it 
confined  to  one  class  of  buildings  ; the  town,  the 
village,  the  episcopal  city,  alike  boast  it  as  their 
chief  ornament.  It  admits  of  every  degree  of 
plainness  or  richness,  and  appears  to  have  been 
in  general  use  from  the  Late  Decorated  to  the 
very  extinction  of  Gothic. 

The  Perpendicular  is  decidedly  the  most  ap- 
propriate style  when  it  is  expedient  to  use  a low- 
pitched  gable  and  flat  wooden  roof.  I do  not  say 
that  the  Flowing  Decorated  is  inadmissible,  as  the 
timber  roof  was  probably  employed  at  an  early 
date  ; but  it  cannot  be  denied,  that  the  sharp  arch 
and  flame-like  tracery  of  the  Decorated  and  Flam- 
boyant are  generally  better  combined  with  the 
high  gable  and  pointed  vault. 

Perpendicular  buildings  of  the  highest  beauty 
are  to  be  found  in  great  variety  and  abundance 

VOL.  i.  p 


210 


in  every  part  of  England.  I may  name, — the 
front  of  Beverley  minster,  an  exquisite  specimen ; 
the  lantern  and  choir  of  York ; the  church  of 
Newcastle  in  Northumberland,  with  its  elegant 
flying  spire ; Louth  in  Lincolnshire ; the  tower  of 
Boston,  with  its  light  and  beautiful  octagon  ; Don- 
caster, Wrexham,  Gresford,  Evesham,  Coventry; 
Wolverhampton,  and  Penkridge  in  Staffordshire ; 
the  tower  of  All  Saints’,  Derby ; the  rich  tower 
of  Gloucester  cathedral,  with  its  open  pinnacles, 
imitated  in  many  of  the  churches  in  Somersetshire ; 
Fairford  in  Gloucestershire;  Bath  abbey;  Edding- 
ton church  in  Wiltshire  — a small,  but  pure  and 
beautiful  example;  St.  George’s,  Windsor;  King’s 
chapel,  Cambridge  ; St.  Peter’s,  Norwich  ; Laven- 
ham,  Woodbridge,  Bury,  Framlingham,  and  many 
other  churches  in  Suffolk ; the  towers  of  Bright- 
lingsea  and  Dedham  in  Essex ; St.  Neot’s  in  Hunt- 
ingdonshire ; Tenterden  and  Cranbrook  in  Kent ; 
and  the  nave,  towers,  and  transepts  of  Canterbury 
cathedral. 

It  now  only  remains  to  add  a few  suggestions 
as  to  the  choice  of  a style  for  practical  purposes. 

The  Grecian  seems  improper  for  a church,  on 
several  accounts.  Many  have  objected,  and  not  un- 
reasonably, to  adopting  the  model  of  a pagan  temple 


211 


in  the  construction  of  a Christian  place  of  worship ; 
and  the  more  so,  as  Gothic  may  be  called  essen- 
tially a Christian  style,  both  in  its  date  and  appli- 
cation. The  Grecian  is  so  universally  applied  to 
secular  purposes,  and,  as  far  as  we  seem  acquainted 
with  it,  admits  of  so  little  variety,  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  give  a sacred  building  the  peculiar 
character  which  ought  to  mark  its  destination.  I 
have  already  mentioned  the  difficulty  of  designing 
a suitable  interior,  to  which  also  may  be  added, 
that  of  annexing  a proper  belfry  to  the  church. 

The  Roman,  or  revived  Italian,  though  grounded 
on  inconsistent  principles,  nevertheless  offers  some 
beauties  and  advantages  unattainable  in  other 
styles,  and  in  towns  will  sometimes  harmonise  the 
best  with  surrounding  buildings.  So  many  fine 
churches  of  this  class  are  to  be  found,  that  the 
architect  need  never  be  at  a loss  for  suggestions 
either  as  to  composition  or  detail;  he  should, 
however,  be  careful  not  to  lean  too  much  towards 
the  Grecian. 

If  from  the  study  of  the  German  Romanesque, 
and  the  simpler  specimens  of  Italian,  a pure  round- 
arched  style  could  be  formed,  it  might,  perhaps,  be 
made  to  suit  many  kinds  of  arrangement  to  which 
no  other  is  exactly  adapted.  To  mature  such  a 


212 


style,  however,  would  require  much  skill  and  judg- 
ment : few  buildings,  if  any,  exist  which  could  be 
taken  as  models  without  alteration,  but  many  might 
furnish  valuable  hints.  The  architect  should  lean 
rather  towards  Italian  than  Norman,  omitting,  at 
the  same  time,  many  characteristics  of  the  former. 
The  external  character  might  in  great  measure  be 
formed  from  both  German  and  Lombard  buildings ; 
the  internal,  chiefly  from  the  former. 

The  Norman  and  Transition,  being  incomplete 
styles,  however  interesting  to  the  student  who 
marks  the  progress  of  architecture,  ought  not  to 
be  selected  for  imitation  ; they  will  only  tie  his 
hands,  and  debar  him  from  excellences  otherwise 
within  his  reach. 

The  Early  Complete  Gothic,  whether  in  the 
form  of  advanced  Early  English,  or  Geometrical 
Decorated,  should  be  adopted  by  no  architect  who 
has  not  a full  command  of  means,  not  only  as  re- 
gards expense,  but  also  the  choice  of  form,  plan, 
and  even  situation.  A building  of  this  style,  to 
speak  generally,  requires  vaulting,  deep  and  bold 
buttresses,  and  windows  and  elevations  of  the  nicest 
design.  The  adoption  of  Early  English,  on  the 
score  of  economy,  I will  contend,  against  general 
practice,  to  be  wrong  in  principle ; that  it  has 


213 


already  given  rise  to  a class  of  very  mean  and 
meagre  buildings,  it  is  impossible  to  deny.  The 
square  tower,  with  battlements  and  pinnacles,  what- 
ever be  the  form  of  the  latter,  or  of  the  belfry- 
windows,  can  scarcely  be  considered  appropriate 
in  this  style. 

The  Flowing  Decorated,  if  worked  in  its  purity, 
requires  nearly  the  same  nicety,  and  would  pro- 
bably be  found  very  expensive. 

But  all  its  beauties,  not  excepting  even  its 
tracery,  may  be  retained  in  the  Perpendicular  style, 
which  allows  the  greatest  possible  latitude  to  the 
architect  both  in  outline  and  detail.  And  it  is 
manifest,  that  by  adopting  a style  at  the  latest 
period  in  which  it  flourished  without  debasement, 
we  are  taking  the  best  ground ; we  have  the  free 
range  of  all  that  has  been  done,  while  the  wide 
field  of  improvement  is  spread  before  us.  We  are 
restrained  in  neither  direction.  It  is  a self-evident 
truth,  that  in  the  advancement  of  an  art,  the  later 
stages  command  and  comprehend  all  the  earlier; 
and  this  is  most  eminently  the  case  with  architec- 
ture. Let  us  take,  for  instance,  the  late  Perpen- 
dicular. This  admits  the  flat  wooden  roof,  the 
obtuse  gable,  the  four-centred  arch,  the  square- 
headed window  with  foliated  lights,  and  the  fan- 


214 


vaulting.  It  allows  all  these;  but  does  it  restrict 
us  to  their  use?  Far  from  it;  we  may  adopt  a 
gable  as  high-pitched  as  any  at  Salisbury  or  Lin- 
coln— witness  the  transepts  to  Canterbury  cathe^ 
dral.  We  may  use  the  window,  with  an  equilateral, 
or  any  other  kind  of  arch  — the  side-windows  of 
King’s  chapel  furnish  an  example.  The  nave  of 
Winchester  and  the  choir  of  Gloucester  shew  how 
convertible  the  Norman  is  into  this  style ; and  in 
the  east  end  of  Beverley  it  is  made  to  harmonise 
with  Early  English.  Do  we  require  the  low  mas- 
sive tower  of  our  oldest  churches  ? This  is  neither 
an  uncommon  nor  an  ungraceful  feature  in  our 
latest ; the  tower  of  Merton  college  is  quite  as 
massive  as  that  of  Tewkesbury  church.  Will  a 
round  arch  harmonise  with  our  other  lines  better 
than  a pointed  one  ? We  are  quite  at  liberty  to 
use  it,  and  can  give  our  authority.  Not  merely 
a depressed  four -centred  arch,  but  an  actually 
round  one,  with  mullions,  occurs  at  Norbury  in 
Derbyshire,  and  in  other  village-churches,  of  late 
date,  but  by  no  means  debased  in  style.  Do  we 
want  the  long  lancet-window  ? A trefoiled  head 
fits  it  for  our  use.  And  if  more  freedom  be  de- 
sirable in  the  tracery  of  our  windows  than  is 
obtained  by  the  mere  repetition  of  the  vertical 


215 


light,  we  may  resort  without  fear  to  the  flowing 
lines  of  the  Decorated  and  Flamboyant,  or  even 
to  the  Geometrical.  I doubt  not  we  might  find 
authority  for  almost  every  combination  of  De- 
corated and  Perpendicular ; but  if  not,  there  is 
no  incongruity  which  prevents  them  from  being 
admissible  into  the  best  designs. 

The  banded  shaft  of  the  Early  English  is  found 
in  the  perpendicular  pier  of  Canterbury  nave,  and 
the  toothed  ornament  is  seen  in  the  mouldings  of 
a Tudor  arch  at  Lichfield.  Not  that  we  ought  so 
to  transfer  the  marks  and  characteristics  of  one 
style  to  another,  but  we  are  at  full  liberty  to  ap- 
propriate, by  such  alteration  as  may  be  necessary, 
any  feature  that  pleases  us.  We  cannot  fail  to 
observe,  that  the  lantern  of  Ely  cathedral  is  an 
excellent  “ translation  into  Decorated  language” 
of  the  Romanesque  octagon  of  Germany  and  Italy  ; 
and  the  same  idea  would  be  expressed  still  more 
easily  in  Perpendicular. 

But  the  use  that  may  be  made  of  the  combina- 
tions of  a preceding  style  is  most  strikingly  illus- 
trated in  Freyburg  minster.  Had  the  architect 
designed  the  whole  from  its  foundation,  it  is  not 
likely  he  would  have  placed  two  large  turrets  in 
the  angles  of  the  choir  and  transepts.  This  ar- 


216 


rangement  is  seldom  found  in  churches  of  Com- 
plete Gothic.  But  having  to  enlarge  upon  a 
Romanesque  plan,  which,  as  was  common,  had  a 
central  octagon  and  two  adjacent  turrets,  he  skil- 
fully took  advantage  of  the  latter,  and  raised  upon 
them  beautiful  spires  of  open-work,  harmonising 
with  the  wonderful  steeple  at  the  west  end,  break- 
ing the  long  line  of  roof,  otherwise  too  formal,  and 
presenting  to  the  eye  one  of  the  most  pleasing 
combinations  that  it  is  possible  to  imagine. 


END  OF  VOL.  i. 


LONDON : 

PRINTED  BY  LEVEY,  ROBSON,  AND  FRANKLYN, 
Great  New  Street,  Fetter  Lane. 


//o  co  dt 


I;. 


^ ci  d i h ^rto  »*-  _ IcJ  tit  $k  tr